Tiger and dog trapped in pit in Idukki, rescued

A tiger and a dog trapped in a pit on a cardamom plantation at Kadukkacity, near Nettithozu, on the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border in Idukki on Sunday.
| Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

The Forest department on Sunday tranquillized a tiger that was found in a human settlement in Idukki.

According to officials, farmers found the tiger and a dog trapped in a deep pit on a private cardamom plantation at Kadukkacity, near Nettithozu, in Vandanmedu grama panchayat along the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border in Idukki early on Sunday.

Kottayam Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) N. Rajesh said the animals would have fallen into the deep pit while the tiger was chasing the dog. The pit is used for composting plantation debris. Snarls from the pit alerted residents and plantation workers who, in turn, informed the Forest department officials.

Forest officials said the pit was approximately 15-foot deep, making it difficult for the tiger to scale it. The Forest department team covered the pit with an iron grill and a forest veterinary team, led by Periyar Tiger Reserve (PTR) assistant veterinary officer R. Anuraj, darted the animal around 12 noon. As the first dart failed to fully sedate the tiger, the team darted it again. The dog was also darted since it kept on barking.

Shifted to PTR

“The forest team then brought both the animals out of the pit. Both appeared unhurt, and the dog was released in the area. The tiger was shifted to the Periyar Tiger Reserve (PTR) in Thekkady and will be released deep in the forest later on the day,” said Mr. Rajesh.

According to the official, the tiger is around two years old and healthy. “It is suspected that the animal arrived from Tamil Nadu or the PTR,” said the official.

According to the official, both animals remained trapped in the pit for many hours, but the tiger did not attack the dog.

According to officials, the tiger’s face had porcupine quills, which were removed. Anti-rabies vaccine was administered to it as it stayed for long with the dog.

Local people said the area bordering Tamil Nadu was not considered a tiger habitat. Vast swathes of forests, speckled with farmlands and cardamom plantations, characterise the verdant region contiguous to Tamil Nadu.

Meanwhile, the spotting of the tiger has caused concern in the locality. Local people said plantation workers who ventured out for work at dawn were particularly vulnerable to wildlife attacks.