Forest department officials have resumed efforts to recapture a five-year-old tiger that has been straying into human habitations near Vandiperiyar.The tiger was previously captured in Munnar and released into the deep forests of the Periyar Tiger Reserve (PTR) in Thekkady on April 2, 2026.According to officials, the tiger has been camping on the tea plantations of Vandiperiyar since the last week of April, posing a threat to plantation workers. The tiger initially stayed into the Thankamala area before retreating briefly to the forest. It returned to the Granby area on May 14, roamed through Sathram and Vallakkadavu, and has now moved from the Hillash area of the Arnakkal estate into nearby Arnakkal.Killed cattlePlantation workers reported that the animal had killed seven heads of cattle over the past two weeks. Due to the tiger’s presence, residents are afraid to go to work or send their children to school.Kottayam Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Prabhul Agarwal stated that the department had set up three cages and 20 camera traps to monitor the big cat’s movements.“The animal is camping on an abandoned tea plantation, occasionally moving into the Ranni forest area before returning to human habitations,” Mr. Agarwal said. “The abandoned plantation is heavily overgrown, which is the major hurdle in locating the animal.”Mr. Agarwal added that the forest personnel were conducting round-the-clock patrolling and using VHF antennas to track the tiger.Abandoned estates“Abandoned estates are a major issue because they provide cover for wild animals. If the undergrowth is cleared, the animals won’t stay on the plantations. We have already discussed the issue with the District Collector,” the DFO said.Officials are also deploying drones to track the tiger, though heavy rain and misty weather are causing severe challenges.Sources revealed that when the healthy tiger was first captured in Munnar, it had already begun targeting cattle. Officials noted that while it was unusual for healthy tigers to hunt livestock, once they developed a habit of preying on cattle, they rarely stopped. Published - June 10, 2026 07:37 pm IST