Big cat had created fear psychosis in tribal settlements and villages

Mysuru/H.D. Kote: The Forest Department has successfully captured the tiger that has killed three persons at H.D. Kote. The big cat was tranquillised deep in the jungle this afternoon. The Department had got a green signal to shoot and kill the tiger. It will be decided later where to shift the animal.

The Department had decided to shoot the tiger if tranquillising did not yield results. The feline was tranquillised at Thimmana Hosahalli Haadi, confirmed Project Tiger Director and Conservator of Forests Nagarahole National Park K.M. Narayanaswamy. The tiger was exhausted as it had not eaten since days. Department shooters spotted the tiger inside a green bush and tranquillised it, he added.

The shoot-at-sight order was issued following the death of a tribal yesterday, who was attacked by the tiger at Thimmana Hosahalli in the D.B. Kuppe Range of the National Park. 55-year-old Kencha was mauled to death by the tiger when he was digging the earth for tubers at Sebanakolli. The feline was crouching by the side of a fence near Kencha’s house and pounced on him and caught him by his nape.

Seeing the tiger, another tribal 12-year-old Balla raised alarm and screamed for help. Hearing human voices, the tiger slipped into the woods. The tiger also tried to attack Balla. However, Balla climbed a tree and escaped. He said he tried to chase the tiger away by throwing a rod.

This is the second such incident at H.D. Kote and in the first incident the tiger had mauled 28-year-old Madhu to death on Dec. 23, 2018 at Manimoole Haadi, a hamlet in H.D. Kote. In the second incident that occurred on Jan. 28 this year, 39-year-old Chinnappa was killed by the feline at Hullumutlu village near D.B. Kuppe Range of Nagarahole National Park.

Protest by villagers

Following the latest tiger killing, villagers and tribals from over 20 tribal hamlets assembled in large numbers, staged a dharna and demanded that the tiger be either captured or shot dead. They blocked the Mysuru-Manandawadi Road and set up fire on the middle of the road. This led to traffic jams on the entire stretch and vehicles were stranded up to 4 kilometres.

The road that cuts through Nagarahole National Park was to close at 6 pm for the night, but yesterday, it was delayed by hours as the villagers continued their protest till over midnight. The villagers said the tiger was on the prowl and it was sighted more than five times on Thursday. They blamed the “callousness” of forest personnel for the deaths and demand that the big cat be killed to save the villagers from further deaths and panic.

Villagers did not allow Kencha’s body to be shifted unless the tiger was captured or shot dead. Finally, after much convincing by the forest department, the villagers relented and the body was shifted to the mortuary after midnight. Later, the vehicles that were stranded were allowed to pass.