Representative image showing a dog
Credit: iStock Photo
Madikeri: A two-year-old girl who went missing from a plantation in Kongana village of Ponnampete taluk on Saturday noon was found safe on Sunday after a dog alerted its owners. The child, who had walked nearly 1.5 km without crying, was finally reunited with her anxious parents.
According to sources, a group of workers from the Jenu Kuruba community had arrived a week ago from Hanagodu hobli in Hunsur taluk to work at the coffee estate of K K Ganapathi in Kongana village. After working through Saturday morning, they were resting in a part of the estate where mobile network was available. During this time, the two-year-old child went between the coffee plants to relieve herself. However, she lost her way and continued walking deeper into the plantation. When the child did not return even after a long time, the panicked workers suspected a possible wild animal attack and informed the Forest Department and the police.
More than 40 forest personnel, along with police and local residents—around 70 to 80 people —searched throughout the evening but found no trace of the child.
On Sunday morning, a pet dog named ‘Oreo’ belonging to Anil, whose plantation is about 1.5- km away, began barking after spotting the child standing among coffee plants. Anil and local residents rushed to the spot, rescued the child, and handed her over to her relieved parents.
Police said the search operation was challenging because the child did not cry even once. “Had the child cried, we might have found her much earlier,” they added.