Knife used to kill tiger recovered

THRISSUR: Forest officials were closing in on the killers of a three-year-old tiger in Nelliyampathy.
On Friday, they recovered a big knife used by Ayyappan, who is accused of killing the big cat.
A decomposed carcass of the tiger was found near Ayyappan's house at Karappara A estate in Nelliyampathy two days ago. It is said that Ayyappan hit the tiger with the knife in self-defence.
Forest officials said the knife was big as it was used to cut large branches that fell on electric lines.
The knife is 45cm-long, 9cm-wide and weighs more than 3kg.
Ayyappan had complained to the district collector that he had spotted a tiger in the estate.
Forest officials said when Ayyappan was returning home after work, the tiger came in the way and caught his left hand.
The frightened Ayyappan on the spur of the moment used the knife in self-defence and hit the tiger on its head breaking its skull.
They produced the skull, remnants of the tiger and knife in the court at Palakkad on Friday.