'Tiger pounced on his neck, he couldn't even scream'; eyewitness recounts incident

MALAPPURAM: A rubber tapping worker was mauled to death by a tiger in Kalikavu, Malappuram, on Thursday morning. The victim, Gafoor (39), a native of Kallamoola in Chokkad, was reportedly attacked while working in a plantation. According to Samad, a co-worker who witnessed the incident, the tiger pounced on Gafoor’s neck and dragged him away before he could even raise an alarm. Only a faint sound was heard during the attack, he said.

Samad said he shouted for help, but with no houses nearby, no one responded. He later alerted others via phone, and the group followed a trail of blood to locate Gafoor’s body, which was found about 200 meters away from the plantation. Samad also noted that the area, until now, had only reported sightings of wild boars and barking deer — never tigers or other large animals.

Police arrived on the scene following reports from locals and recovered the body during their search. The tragic death sparked widespread protests among local residents, who demanded immediate measures to address the presence of dangerous wild animals such as tigers and leopards in the region.

The locals said financial aid of Rs 10 lakh is not enough and demanded a job for a member of Gafoor’s family. DFO Danesh announced that the first instalment of the government-declared compensation — Rs 5 lakh — would be disbursed on Friday itself. The remaining Rs 5 lakh will be provided after completing the required legal procedures. It has also been decided to provide Gafoor’s wife with a temporary job in the Forest Department. A recommendation will be made to offer a permanent job to a member of the family, the DFO added.