Malappuram (Kerala), May 18 (PTI) One of the kumki elephants (trained captive tuskers) brought in for the search operation to capture the tiger that killed a rubber-tapping worker near Kalikavu three days ago, suddenly attacked its mahout on Sunday, forest officials said.
The mahout sustained injuries to his neck and is undergoing treatment at a private hospital, they added.
Forest officials said the kumki elephant will be examined by veterinarians, and based on their report, a decision will be taken on whether to continue using it in the search operations.
Regarding the ongoing search for the tiger, Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of Nilambur South, Dhanik Lal, said the operation is continuing, with more drones and cages being deployed in areas where the tiger was sighted a day ago.
He added that live bait has also been placed at several locations to trap the feline.
According to forest officials, a comparison of the tiger's image with their database revealed that it came from the Silent Valley National Park, located at the tri-junction of Kerala's Palakkad and Malappuram districts and Tamil Nadu's Nilgiris district.
Since May 16, the forest department has deployed camera traps, thermal drones, kumki elephants, and three teams of 20 forest personnel—armed with tranquillisers and including veterinarians—to track the tiger.
On May 15, 45-year-old Gafoor was attacked and dragged into the forest by the tiger while he and a friend were on their way to a rubber-tapping site.