Increasing tiger attacks on cattle spark protest in Keralam’s Munnar

The rising number of tiger attacks on cattle across Munnar’s plantation sector in Idukki has heightened fear among workers and triggered protests by residents and Communist Party of India (CPI) workers against the Forest department.

According to officials, nine head of cattle have been killed over the past 10 months in the Lakshmi area near Munnar, prompting local people to demand immediate intervention by the Forest department. According to the data from the department, between January 2025 and October 7, 2026, 53head of cattle were killed by tigers in the Munnar forest range. In the latest incident on Monday, a tiger mauled to death the cow of Paramasivam, a plantation worker at the Sevenmala estate upper division, under Kanan Devan Hills Plantations (KDHP).

Meeting with CPI

The CPI has stepped up its agitation over the recurring human-wildlife conflict in the plantations here. On Monday, the party staged a six-hour protest in front of the Munnar Divisional Forest Office (DFO) in Devikulam,displaying the carcass of the cow killed earlier that day. On September 29 too, the CPI workers had blocked the vehicle of forest officers after a cow was killed in the region.Following the sustained protests, the department has scheduled a meeting with the CPI leaderson Thursday at the Munnar DFO to address the crisis.

T. Chandrapal, CPI Devikulam Mandalam secretary, demanded that the authorities conduct a scientific census to determine the local tiger population. “By our estimate, nearly 25 tigers, including cubs, are roaming the plantation belt in Munnar, posing a direct threat to humans and livestock,” Mr. Chandrapal said. “We demand that the Forest department capture and relocate these animals away from human settlements.”

Against removal of carcass

Meanwhile, Munnar Range Officer S. Biju has cautioned against removing from the spot the carcasses of cattle killed by tigers. “Setting up camera traps requires the carcass to remain in place as tigers typically return to feed, allowing us to photograph and identify the animal,” Mr. Biju said. “The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) guidelines require proper identification and committee clearance before any capture operation can begin. When protesters remove the carcasses, identifying the big cat becomes nearly impossible,” he said.

Mr. Biju also cautioned that bringing carcasses near residential clusters poses safety risks. “Dumping the dead cattle near worker settlements (layams) would draw predators closer to the residential areas,” he said.

Two tigers captured from plantations in Munnar earlier were translocated to the Periyar Tiger Reserve (PTR) in Thekkady, said forest officers.