Neelagiri Kaduva (Neelagiri Tiger)

The Neelagiri Kaduva, or Neelagiri Tiger, is a cryptid from the Western Ghats of India, particularly around Kerala and Tamil Nadu. Despite the name, it’s often described as a massive, black-furred feline with unusual stripe patterns or even spotted shoulders, reputed to be far more aggressive than known tigers or leopards. Villagers recount sudden, violent livestock kills and shadowy shapes that seem to vanish into the dense undergrowth. Some researchers believe these reports could involve large melanistic leopards or aberrant tigers, while local folklore often treats the Neelagiri Kaduva as a ghostly guardian of the hills, punishing human encroachment. Its legend persists at the intersection of biological mystery and spiritual caution, a dark prowler that symbolizes the deep, living power of India’s mountain forests.