Kochi, December 10: A tiger killed and partially ate a 36-year-old man near a forest in Vakeri, Wayanad. The victim, Prajeesh Kuttappan Marottiparambil, had gone to get grass for his cattle that morning. His brother found his body in a nearby plantation later. The incident sparked protests from locals who want the authorities to kill the tiger.

As per the New Indian Express report, the deceased had collected grass to feed his cattle on Saturday morning. However, he did not return after several hours, so his brother searched for him. His body was found in a nearby plantation, which is close to the forest.  Prajeesh lived with his mother and brother, farmers and dairy producers. Tiger Attack in Kerala: Residents Protest After Man's Half-Eaten Body Found in Wayanad Forest.

As per the report, Prajeesh used to collect grass from the plantation every day. The area has seen frequent attacks by wild animals. Six years ago, an elephant killed another farmer, Rajeesh, at the same spot. Shajna A, the South Wayanad divisional forest officer, said, “We are tracking the tiger and have sought permission to catch it. We will confirm the cause of death after the postmortem.” Kerala Tiger Attack: Farmer Dies After Being Attacked by Tiger in Wayanad.

The locals and Prajeesh’s kin protested against the wild animal attacks and blocked the officials from examining the body at first. They agreed to let them do the inquest after talking to DFO Shajna and the panchayat. The body was taken to the Sultan Bathery Taluk Hospital. But Prajeesh’s relatives said they would not release it until the tiger was killed. They also asked for Rs 10lakh compensation and a government job for one of the family members.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 10, 2023 05:01 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).