Gonikoppa: Forest staff, including Mahout Kulla and domesticated elephant Bhima, who were conducting tiger capture operation at Harihara village in Ponnampet taluk sustained injuries when a swarm of bees attacked them yesterday.

Sharp Shooter Kannanda Ranjan, Mahout Kulla and elephant Bhima were among other staff who were stung by the bees. Ranjan was treated at the District Hospital while others are said to have recovered.

On Wednesday, a man had captured a video of a tiger quenching its thirst at Sri Subramanya Mandemudi Lake in Harihara village and the video had gone viral following which the villagers expressed the presence of the tiger in coffee estates and at places bordering the forest.

Forest Department officials and staff, who rushed to the spot, found pug marks and decided to conduct a combing operation to capture the tiger.

Yesterday morning, the Forest staff, along with elephants Bhima and Mahendra began the combing operation, during which the bees attacked them.

Meanwhile, former Wildlife Warden and National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) representative K.N. Bose Madappa said that the tiger looked like it is suffering from illness and added that the tiger would be captured safely and relocated with the help of Forest Department officials, staff and villagers.