Sulthan Bathery: The Department of Wildlife Welfare and Forests has shifted the problem tiger of Choorimala which had turned a regular cattle lifter to the Thrissur Zoological Park at Puthur,  on Sunday night. 

The 10-year-old male tiger was trapped in the cage laid by the forest department on Saturday. After a proper medical examination at the Animal Hospices and Palliative Centre at Pachadi, the tiger was shifted at night to ensure fewer disturbances from vehicular movement and also to reduce travel time, according to forest officials. The man-eater of Koodallur which had killed Prajeesh, a  dairy farmer also shifted to the Zoological Park, as the Animal Hospices was packed.

According to South Wayanad DFO Shajna Karim, the tiger had problems with hunting teeth, canine teeth and cloves of paw also been damaged which might have been the reason for it to become a cattle lifter. “Such animals cannot hunt the prey that could easily skip off their clutches, " she said. “The tiger was shifted to the Zoological Park to ensure better treatment facilities and better ambience”, she added.

In the wee hours of Friday, the animal killed and devoured the cow of Thanattukudiyil Rajan. The remains of the 'kill' were found by the family during a search conducted at the surroundings the next morning. Three months back milch cow of Rajan was also killed by an animal, suspected to be by the same tiger. 

Proposal for Expansion of Animal Hospices submitted 
The Wayanad Wildlife Warden has submitted a proposal to the Department of Wildlife Welfare and Forests for upgrading the facilities at the Animal Hospices and Palliative Care Centre at Pachady with more facilities to accommodate more animals. 

The existing facility at the Animal Hospices was designed to ensure palliative care to only four aged and critically ill big cats. It now accommodates as many as 7 big cats including 4 male tigers. The warden has demanded the facility for five more big cats in the Animal Hospices which would cost around Rs 1.4 Crore, according to officials.

The first inhabitant of the hospice was a 4-year-old male tiger, it killed Thomas a farmer in Mananthavadi in March 2022. Later another 14-year-old female tigress joined the facility at the hospice. Last year alone four big cats were brought to the Animal Hospices for treatment and prolonged health care.