Bengaluru: Two days after a villager was fatally attacked by a tiger outside Bandipur Tiger Reserve, another human casualty was reported on Friday morning from the same location.
A tribal was attacked and killed by a tiger, suspected to be the same one that killed a villager two days ago. The deceased has been identified as Cheluva (35). He belongs to Jenu Kuruba tribe and was occupant of Sigodi Haadi in H D Kote taluk.
The attack happened around 11.30 am when Cheluva had gone to his field, located nearly 100 metres from the forest boundary.
Forest officials suspect the tiger might be wounded and unable to hunt animals inside the forests. Hence it may be lying in wait to attack livestock grazing along the forest boundary.
“In both the cases the tiger did not feed on his human victims. So it is not a man eater. Moreover we understand the tiger is either aged or injured, hence it is trying to hunt on the forest outskirts. The appearance of the tiger in daylight outside the forest also indicates that it might be hungry,” explained H. C. Kantharaj, Director of Bandipur Tiger Reserve.
The forest department on Friday afternoon began the lookout for tiger, after locals staged a protest. Trained elephants from the Bandipur camps were brought to the H D Kote forests and the area is being combed for the big cat.
“If the tiger is sighted we are planning to tranquilise it. A team of wildlife veterinarians has been asked to be ready at Moleyur Range of Bandipur forests for necessary action. We will use at least three elephants to comb the area,” Kantaraj said.
Tiger biologist Dr K Ullas Karanth was of the opinion that the tiger should be captured if it is trying to attack humans and livestock. “In 2004, a tigress, who was camera trapped for a decade, was pushed out of Nagarhole in her old age. She took to killing livestock and also fatally attacked two villagers. Before this tiger attacks more humans and livestock, it must be captured,” Dr Karanth said.
The conservationists had earlier warned of an increase in attacks from tigers and leopards due to increase in human activities around the tiger areas. “Several villagers sneak inside the tiger reserves with their livestock and this creates imbalance in the nature. The increasing presence of livestock in forest also poses threat of transmission of diseases,” added a wildlife expert.
