A tiger, which strayed into a human settlement, was found dead with injuries in a forest fringe village in this north Kerala district on Saturday.

The carcass of the big cat was spotted in a private plantation in Vakeri village, Wildlife Department officials here said. The injuries were suspected to have caused following a fight with other animals inside the forest, a senior official said. "The tiger was spotted in the area three days ago. It was under our surveillance for the last two days. Though we tried to cage the animal, the attempts failed," Chethalayath Forest Range Officer Abdul Samad told PTI.

A sanction was granted to dart the animal as its presence in inhabited areas triggered panic among local people.? "But, the animal was found dead in the morning. According to the veterinarian, it was around five to six years old," the official said. The actual cause of tiger's death can be ascertained only after autopsy, he added. The carcass was shifted to the forest centre for further proceedings.