Representative image of a tiger.
Credit: iStock photo
Mysuru: As many as 15 tigers — four adults and 11 cubs — have been rescued in the Bandipur Tiger Reserve (BTR) and Nagarahole Tiger Reserve (NTR) limits in the past one month.
As many as three farmers have been killed and one injured in tiger attacks since October 16. Different operations were launched to capture the tigers involved in these incidents and incidentally their cubs were also rescued and united with their mothers.
Personnel of the Forest Department have rescued 14 tigers — 10 in Sargur and Nanjangud taluks of Mysuru district and four in Gundlupet taluk of Chamarajanagar district in the BTR limits. They have also rescued a tiger in Hunsur taluk under the NTR limits.
Three cubs have been sent to the Bannerghatta rescue centre in Bengaluru. Two tigers and two cubs have been housed in Chamundi rescue centre at Koorgalli in Mysuru. One tiger and three cubs have been housed in the BTR. One tiger and three cubs have been released in the interiors of the NTR.
BTR
On November 18 morning, the personnel rescued a nine-to-10 year-old tigress which had killed farmer Rajashekar (65) on October 26 near Bennegere in Mullur Gram Panchayat in Sargur taluk of Mysuru district, on the fringes of Nugu Wildlife Sanctuary of the BTR. Along with it, they rescued three (two to two-and-a-half months-old) cubs. They have been housed in the BTR. Two male cubs of this tigress were rescued on October 27 and they are housed in the Bannerghatta rescue centre. The tigress, which was nourishing its cubs, had attacked the farmer when he was cutting sticks in a bush, the Forest Department said.
On November 9, the department personnel rescued an 11-to-12-year-old male tiger in the Moleyur wildlife range of the BTR. This tiger killed farmer Chowda Naika (35) on November 8. It is also suspected to have killed farmer Doddaningaiah (53) on October 31. It has been housed at the Chamundi rescue centre. Its neck was injured due to a snare and hence it had attacked and killed two farmers, according to the department.
In Nanjangud taluk
On October 28, an eight-year-old tigress was rescued at Anjanapura, under the Hediyala range of the BTR in Nanjangud taluk of Mysuru district. It had attacked and injured farmer Made Gowda, 43, on October 16 on the fringes of Nugu near Badagalapura in Sargur taluk. On November 5, its one-and-a-half-years-old female tiger cub was rescued at Hosavindu under Hediyala range of the BTR in Nanjangud taluk.
On October 18, its another one-and-a-half-years-old female cub was rescued on the fringes of Nugu. The tigress and its two cubs have been sent to the Chamundi rescue centre. Department personnel are looking for its one more cub. This tigress had attacked a farmer when he was watching a combing operation.
In Gundlupet
On November 10, a four-year-old tigress and its two-month-old three cubs were rescued at Kallahalli in Gundlupet buffer zone of the BTR during operation taken up after complaints of cattle-kill. They were released in the interiors of the NTR on November 11.
In Hunsur
The personnel rescued an eight-month-old male tiger cub, which was sighted in a few villages in Hunsur taluk of Mysuru district on the fringes of the NTR on November 11. The cub was found to be weak and sent to the Bannerghatta rescue centre.
Team of personnel including Wild life veterinarians Ramesh, Wasim, sharpshooter Ranjan rescued the tigers with the support of several Dasara elephants. They used drones, thermal drones and trap cameras during the operation.
Under the guidance of Forest Minister Eshwar B Khandre, they were led by APCCF Kumar Pushkar, Conservator of Forest Mysuru circle S S Ravishankar, DCF Mysuru territorial division K Paramesha, director of Bandipur S Prabhakaran, director of Project Tiger P Ramesh Kumar and others.
As the safari in the tiger reserves have been stopped, the safari vehicles and staff are being deployed to create awareness in villages along the forest fringes on precautions to be taken by people.