An adult tiger that had repeatedly strayed into human settlements and killed domestic animals was trapped by the forest department in Kerala’s Pathanamthitta district early on Monday, officials said.

The tiger’s presence had been reported over the past two months in Kumbalathamon near Vadasserikara following a series of attacks on livestock, prompting heightened surveillance by forest officials.

After installing camera traps, forest department personnel confirmed that the animal was moving close to human habitation, officials said.

The tiger had killed buffaloes, dogs and goats belonging to farms and residences in Kumbalathamon, an area located close to the forest boundary.

On Sunday, a goat was killed by the tiger, and its carcass was found at an isolated spot near the forest, an official said.

Forest officials subsequently laid a cage trap near the site, using the carcass as bait. When the tiger returned to consume the remains, it was trapped in the early hours of Monday, officials said.

The captured tiger will be shifted to a nearby forest station for a medical examination.

A decision will later be taken on whether to release the animal back into the wild or keep it in captivity, an official said.

Officials clarified that the tiger was not involved in any attacks on humans, though residents in the area were panicked due to frequent incidents of livestock killings.