Wayanad Tiger That Killed Tribal Leader Captured by Forest Officials
December 26, 2025
A tiger that had been frightening Vandikkadavu residents in Wayanad district was captured early Friday morning. The tiger, a 14-year-old male named WWL 48, was trapped in a cage by the Forest Department at 1:30 a.m. This happened after the tiger killed Maran, also known as Kooman, aged 65. Maran was the head of the Devargadda Kattunayaka tribal hamlet. He was attacked on Saturday while gathering firewood by the Kannarampuzha river near the Kurichiyadu forest range. Maran's sister, Kulli, was with him and barely escaped. The Forest Department then placed cages and used cameras to watch the area. Officials confirmed through stripe pattern matching that the same tiger attacked Maran. Due to its old age and its history of attacking humans, officials said the tiger will not be released back into the forest. It was moved to a special conservation and care centre in Kuppadi. There, the tiger will be kept under permanent watch.
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Tags:
Tiger Capture
Wayanad
Human-Wildlife Conflict
Tribal Leader Death
Forest department
Wildlife safety
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