Amid growing concerns over the straying of wildlife into human settlements, forest officials on Tuesday rescued yet another tiger from a village on the forest fringes of Pathanamthitta district. Earlier this month, authorities had trapped an eight-year-old tiger that repeatedly ventured into human habitations and attacked domestic animals in the Kumbalathamon area
The tiger was rescued on Tuesday after it fell into a well near the house of Kollamparambil Sadasivan, a resident of Villoonnipara, near Chittar. The incident came to light when Sadasivan’s family noticed the animal got stuck in the well around 5 a.m. Police personnel from the Chittar station reached the spot, followed by a team from the Forest department.
A preliminary examination indicated that the female tiger was around three years old. A specially trained team from the Periyar Tiger Reserve was rushed to the site and after efforts lasing over seven hours, the team managed to secure the tiger using a net. The animal was then lifted out of the well and administered two doses of tranquilliser before being shifted in a cage to the forest station.
“The initial plan was to rescue the animal by pumping out water from the well. However, that could have enabled the tiger to escape, and the option was therefore ruled out,” a forest official said. Veterinary experts were brought in to assess the animal’s health condition and the animal was confirmed healthy.
“Permission has been sought from the Chief Wildlife Warden for releasing the animal back into the deep forests,” the official added.
While residents in the region have often raised complaints about wild elephants, forest officials said this was the first time a tiger had been sighted in the area.
The incident has triggered fresh concerns among residents living along forest fringes.
Published – December 30, 2025 07:13 pm IST
