A 47-year-old woman was killed in a tiger attack at Priyadarshini Estate at Mananthavady village in the Wayanad district of Kerala state in India on Friday morning, sparking intense protests by locals in the area.

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The victim, Radha, who belonged to a scheduled caste, was mauled by the tiger while she was out plucking coffee at the estate in the morning.

The incident occurred a day after Kerala Forest Minister A K Saseendran claimed in the state assembly that human-animal conflicts were declining in the state and the government was taking effective action.

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Following the incident, locals protested by not allowing the woman's body to be taken for postmortem till the authorities ensured that the people of the area were protected and the tiger was killed or captured.

The locals staged a protest in front of O R Kelu, the Minister for the Welfare of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Backward Classes, when he visited the area.
Later, the minister told reporters that an order to kill or capture the tiger was issued as demanded by the people of the area.

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Besides that, Rapid Response Teams (RRTs) were being deployed in the area to ensure the safety of the people who go to work early in the morning.

Kelu also said that a fencing project was sanctioned for the area and he had set aside funds for it, but it could not be implemented till now as several rounds of the tendering process were not successful in finding someone to carry out the work.

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He said steps would be taken to implement the project as quickly as possible.

Additionally, the issue of providing a job to the victim's family will be placed before the cabinet soon, and a compensation of Rs 11 lakh will also be provided to them, he said. Kelu said that of the Rs 11 lakh, Rs 5 lakh will be given on Friday.

After the assurances given by the minister, the protesters allowed the body to be taken away for postmortem.

Meanwhile, AICC general secretary and Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra condoled the death of the woman and said there was an immediate need to find a sustainable solution to the problem of wild animal attacks.

"I am deeply saddened by the tragic loss of Radha, who was killed by a tiger while harvesting coffee in Pancharakolly, Mananthavady. My heartfelt condolences to her family. There is an immediate need for sustainable solutions to address this pressing issue," she said in a post on the social media platform 'X'.

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