Ooty tiger hunt enters day 14 as big cat evades 147 cameras and 13 cages

The search for a tiger believed to have killed two people in Lauriston in August has entered its 14th day in O'Valley, with forest officials reporting that the animal has left few fresh signs of its presence.

The operation, which began on August 21, has focused on a 10-year-old male tiger that has so far evaded all capture attempts. On Wednesday, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Chief Wildlife Warden Rakesh Kumar Dogra visited the area and reviewed the progress with the Field Director of the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve, the Divisional Forest Officer (Gudalur), and veterinary doctors. He stressed that the operation must ensure the safety of both the public and the tiger.

On Thursday, forest staff expanded their search into caves and nooks in O'Valley and surrounding areas. Officials noted that while pug marks have been found, the tiger has not appeared on any camera trap for ten days. They suspect that the heightened human activity from the search, along with the presence of kumki elephants, may have alerted the animal and driven it deeper into hiding.

To widen the net, surveillance has been stepped up in forest ranges contiguous with O'Valley, including areas under the Nilgiris forest division and the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve. A total of 147 camera traps have been deployed across the region, and 13 cages have been set up to safely capture the animal.