Chamarajanagar: An artificial intelligence (AI) based drone camera would be used to prevent the man-animal conflict at Bandipur forest. A Command Centre will be opened to take measures to prevent wild animals straying into the villages, said Forest Minister Eshwar B Khandre.
With the tiger attack incidents on the rise in Saragur limits in Mysuru district, and growing outrage among the people in the region demanding to take suitable measures to resolve the issue, the minister held a meeting with the farmer leaders, at the ZP Hall, in Chamarajanagar, on Sunday.
The minister assured that the suggestions and cooperation of the locals and farmers would be taken to prevent the man-animal conflict. Locals will also be included in the wildlife-human conflict management task force, he said.
Illegal resorts
"Our government has not given approval for illegal mining, resorts and homestays in the forest area. If there are complaints against the illegal activities in the forest area, stern action would be taken," he warned.
There were 12 tigers at Bandipur in 1972. Currently there are more than 153 tigers. Human-animal conflict has increased as there is no expansion of the forest cover, keeping up with the number of tigers.
On an average, around 55 to 60 people die due to wild animal attacks in Karnataka every year. In 2021-22 there were 41 deaths reported. It was 57 in 2022-23, 65 in 2023-24, 46 in 2024-25 and 30 deaths in 2025-26, so far, he informed.
District incharge Minister K Venkatesh, Social Welfare Minister H C Mahadevappa, MLAs C Puttarangashetty, H M Ganeshprasad, A R Krishnamurthy, Anil Chikkamadu, Darshan Dhruvanarayan and officials were present.