Over a hundred tigers are on the prowl in Wayanad's forest areas (Representative Image) | Photo Credit: BCCL

Wayanad: Locals in Kerala's Wayanad district have urged the district administration and the state forest department to step up measures for the safety of locals following an increase in the number of tiger and leopard attacks in the region. With two forest divisions and one wildlife sanctuary in the district, locals claim that over a hundred tigers and even more leopards are on the prowl posing a severe danger for residents.

More than ten incidents of attacks on cattle in a span of one week have added to the farmers' fears, says a report by Deccan Chronicle. Most of these attacks took place in the interior jungle hamlets of Wayanad, added the report. In fact, wildlife officials caged one tiger and two leopards in the past week after locals demanded that the bug cats be restricted following an attack on cattle tied up inside a stable.

Kerala: A four-year-old child mauled to death by a tiger in Thrissur. — ANI (@ANI) February 9, 2018

The number of attacks is high in plantation areas where the prey species has declined as compared to the wildlife sanctuary where the number of prey species is high, said forest veterinary officer Dr Arun Zachariah. He also said that healthy leonine animals barely enter human settlements. Tigers and leopards who are aging or physically handicapped usually wander into human settlements looking for easy prey, he adds.

Meanwhile, District Forest Officer (DFO), North Wayanad, R Keerthy said that the density of big cat population in the area is not very high. Keerthy, who is also the in charge of the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary, said that forest rangers have been instructed to catch and rehabilitate those big cats who are found creating trouble for human settlements.

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