• Forest staff begin operation to trap the wild cat
• Villagers warned not to enter their agri fields

Nanjangud: Even though the tiger that had killed a woman has been captured and shifted to the rehabilitation centre at Koorgalli in Mysuru, fear has gripped the villagers of a few villages in Nanjangud taluk after a video of the tiger being spotted at a village in the taluk went viral on social media, prompting the Forest Department officials of Mysuru Zone to take steps to capture the tiger.

Yesterday night a camera trap installed by the Forest Department at Doddakanya village has captured the photo of the tiger and this morning, the Forest staff spotted a tiger at a sugarcane field in Doddakanya.

Following the tiger being spotted, the Forest staff immediately informed their higher officials, who have rushed to the spot. Villagers have been warned about the presence of the tiger and have instructed the villagers not to venture into their agri fields till the tiger is captured.

Sources said that the tiger is a sub-adult and it is suspected that the tiger has entered into human habitat to extend its territory.

Mysuru Circle Conservator of Forests (CF) Dr.MalathiPriya, Assistant Conservator of Forests (ACF) N. Lakshmikanth and Deputy Conservator of Forests (DCF) Dr. K.N. Basavaju have rushed to Doddakanya and have intensified the operation to capture the tiger.

It may be recalled that following complaints that a tiger was spotted in Chikkakanya, Doddakanya, Bythahalli, Sinduvalli and other villages, the Forest Department, which took the issue seriously, had begun its operation to trace and trap the tiger.

The Forest Department utilised 30 Thermal Sensor Cameras and two Pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ) cameras for tracing and placed two cages to trap the tiger. Camera traps are installed at Doddakanya to monitor the movement of tiger.

Hair sample of captured tiger sent for DNA test

The sample of the tiger’s hair found at the spot where the woman was killed in the fringes of Bandipur Forest has been sent for DNA test along with the hair sample of the captured tiger, said Bandipur National Park Director Dr. Ramesh Kumar.

Dr. Ramesh further said that after the tiger was captured, camera traps have not captured images of any tiger. Pointing out that the captured tiger was caught on camera trap in 2012, Dr. Ramesh said that the tiger was more than 12 to 13 years old. Despite the tiger being healthy, it is because of its age, it was unable to move fast to hunt and hence it was preying on cattle and attacking humans.

Meanwhile, Nodal Officer Saswati Mishra yesterday visited the spot, where the tiger had killed the woman and took a complete report from the Forest officials. Lauding the Forest officials and staff for their quick response and capturing the tiger, she instructed the Forest officials to take steps to prevent man-animal conflicts in future.