Man-eater of Bandipur captured

 

Chikbargi: High drama prevailed at the Chikbargi village, bordering Bandipur Tiger Reserve, after the forest officials managed the dart the tiger responsible for killing three humans in the past one week.

 

The police had to disperse villagers who tried to block the vehicle carrying the captured animal. They were demanding that the tiger be shot dead in their presence. 

 

The government on Tuesday had ordered shoot-at-sight for the tiger, after it turned man-eater. The operation began behind the forest guest house in the village on Wednesday morning when the veterinarians mounted on elephants started combing the forest area.

 

The tiger was sighted around 11 am and soon it was darted using tranquilizers. The dart hit the tiger’s right leg and it fell unconscious.

 

After capturing the tiger the forest officials had to contend with the nearby villagers, who had gathered in large numbers to catch a glimpse of the animal. They wanted the tiger to be killed as per the shoot-at-sight orders and shouted slogans against the forest department.

 

Repeated efforts by the forest department and police failed to pacify them. The police had to summon a company from H D Kote, after which the villagers dispersed.

 

The repeated attacks by the tiger had left the villagers restive. On Monday night, after the tiger killed its third victim, they had torched forest department vehicles and damaged the forest guest house.

 

The body of tiger attack victim, identified as Basappa, was discovered by villagers on Monday night. The tiger had consumed most part of the body. 

 

The gory site had angered villagers and they did not allow forest department officials to remove the body for more than 48 hours.

 

The tiger which had turned man eater remained elusive for more than six nights after it took its first victim outside Moleyur Range outside Bandipur forests. The forest department had deployed five elephants for the operation.

 

 

 

 

 

She came to see the captured tiger and kept appealing to the forest officials and media persons to kill the tiger or she would not go home.

 

The recent tiger attacks have brought to the fore the discontent among the residents of this village in H D Kote taluk against the forest department’s apathy in dealing with the menace of wild animals. 

 

The villagers claim their fields get frequently attacked by elephants and wild boars, but the forest department has taken no remedial action. The forest officials claim they are ill-equipped to deal with such attacks.

 

The villagers allege the forest department has not built elephant proof trenches (EPT) or erected solar fence.

 

Few years ago the forest department had banned grazing inside the forest, which forced many villagers to sell their cattle. But the department has failed to control the herds of elephants, which keep damaging crops around Chikbargi.

 

The villagers also blame local authorities for poor maintenance of roads. The road is in such a bad shape that it takes two hours to reach the taluk headquarters at H D Kote, located about 45 km away.

 

Bhavanish M. P., a local villager said, “Despite raising several issues with Gram Panchayat and at other levels, nothing has been done to mitigate the man-animal conflict. Instead the forest department officials ill treat villagers and book them for petty offence. There were tigers and elephants near our village for many centuries, but we have never heard of maneaters,” he said.

 

“There are lots of children living in the village who are at constant risk from attack by wild animals. 

 

“The forest department needs to do patrolling so that the animals restrict their movement within the forest areas,” said Sudhamma, a resident.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Two quills of porcupine were found stuck in the tiger's mouth and hind legs, making it difficult for the animal to hunt or even sprint to catch any animal.

 

“The tiger appears to be around 11 years old, but once we take up the treatment we can analyse its age. Moreover the tiger is dehydrated due to the tranquiliser dose and it takes a day for the animal to go through the treatment. We are treating the tiger now at Mysore zoo and later a decision to shift the animal will be taken,” said a veterinarian from the forest department.

 

Vinay Luthra, the PCCF Wildlife said that the decision to shift the animal to Bannerghatta zoo will be taken after the treatment. “The animal requires treatment at the earliest and once the tiger has recovered we shall take a decision on where it will spend its remaining time,” Luthra said.