Thiruvananthapuram, Dec 18 (IANS): Protests broke out in Wayanad on Monday as a large number of people demanded that a man-eating tiger caught in a cage put up by the forest department, be shot.

While the forest officials want to transport the tiger, the locals want it to be put down as on December 9 this tiger had killed and eaten a 36-year-old farmer Prajeesh.

Prajeesh’s half-eaten body was found about 500 metres from a forest area at Vakeri near Kalpetta in Wayanad district. The residents of the area had been seeking the killing of the tiger since then

The forest department had placed cages at various places and on Monday morning the tiger was trapped in a cage, close to where Prajeesh’s body was found.

“We are not going to allow the authorities to transport this man-eating tiger from here as we want it to be killed as it has already taken the life of our Prajeesh. We know what the authorities will do. They will take this cage from here and then let out the tiger in the forests areas. This will not be allowed again,” said angry protesters.

Last week the Kerala High Court dismissed a Public Interest Litigation challenging the order issued by top Kerala Forest Department officials directing appropriate steps to be taken to shoot the tiger and imposed a cost of Rs 25,000 on the petitioner.

"Considering the order which, in our opinion, is a well-reasoned order, we feel that this public interest litigation has been filed only with motives known to the petitioner. And we dismiss this petition with cost of Rs. 25,000. The amount shall be deposited with the Legal Aid within a period of two weeks from today," the High Court order said.