Kalikavu, Malappuram: Continuing the man-animal conflict fatalities in Kerala, a rubber-tapping worker, identified as Gaffur, has been killed in a suspected tiger attack at Adakkakundu, Kalikavu, Malappuram on Thursday.

The body of the victim, a native of Kallamoola, Chokkad, was found by another tapping worker, an Adakkakundu native, who accompanied Gaffur, and he informed the police. The tragic incident took place on early hours of Thursday when the 55-year-old man was on his way to tape the rubber trees. The victim’s body was reportedly dragged by the tiger during the attack. Locals are in panic since the report of the news emerged.

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A complaint has been registered in Kalikavu police statin regarding the incident, and the police have launched an investigation, according to a report by news agency ANI. Forest department has also initiated investigation into the incident.

The body of the deceased person was found five kilometers away from the incident site within the forest, the news agency cited police officials.

Earlier this year, a 47-year-old coffee-plantation worker tribal woman lost her life when a tiger attacked her on her way to the job site near Priyadarshani Estate in Pancharakolli, Mananthavady in Wayanad. After finding the victim, Radha’s severely mangled body, police suspected that the tiger might have dragged her half-eaten body around 100 metres into the forest before abandoning it.

Read Also: Human-Animal Conflict In Kerala’s Wayanad

The incident had sparked huge outrage and protests in the locality, with the government ordering them to shoot the man-eater tiger that mauled the tribal woman.

One of the pressing troubles with daily life for people living near the forest area in Kerala, human-animal conflicts have increased significantly over the past few years. The Union environment ministry recently informed the Rajya Sabha that Kerala recorded 460 deaths and 4,527 injuries due to human-wildlife conflict in the 2020-2024 period.

Responding to a question from Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) MP, P V Abdul Wahab, regarding mortalities and injuries linked to animal attacks in Kerala, the Centre said that Palakkad district had the highest mortality rate in the state due to conflicts with animals, with 101 deaths,  followed by Thrissur with 56, Malappuram with 45 and Wayanad with 26.

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