THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Central and state estimates of the number of tigers in Kerala's forests are at odds. If there are 190 tigers in Kerala according to the estimate given by the Union Forest Ministry in the Lok Sabha, it is 213 according to the estimate given by the state government in the Legislative Assembly. There are 84 tigers in Wayanad alone. Of these, 39 were not detected by camera surveillance in the past. The forest department assesses that these have come from other state forest areas including Bandipur. Around 30 lakh people in Wayanad, Idukki, Kannur, Palakkad and Malappuram districts are living in fear of wild animals.
Tigers reach Wayanad from Bandipur, Nagarahole and BR Tiger Reserve in Karnataka and Mudumalai and Sathyamangalam in Tamil Nadu. There are 524 tigers in Karnataka. It is estimated that there are eight tigers per 100 square kilometers in the forests of Wayanad. It was 9.3 in the 2018 census. 120 tigers were found then. Of these, only 45 tigers were found in the 2023 census. It has been found that the number of tigers in Bandipur and Nagarahole has increased.
Injured, old and diseased tigers are the ones that come to human settlements in search of prey. Although the government has announced that tigers that pose a threat to humans will be captured and rehabilitated in Parambikulam and Periyar tiger sanctuaries, the forest department is ready to capture tigers and elephants only after they kill a human. The central government provides financial assistance to the states under the 'Project Tiger' scheme for tiger conservation. The government estimates that 640 people have died in wild animal attacks in the last five years.
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