Tusker to play pawn to trap big cat

Abhimanyu, who took part in Mysore Dasara was brought to Gonikoppa to search for the tiger at Haisodlur, Konangeri, Devarakadu and coffee estates.

Though the footprints of the tiger were found in couple of places, the big cat was not traced. The tiger had killed a cow belonging to Moodera Ganapathy on Friday night.

The same tiger had returned to the same spot in the wee hours of Saturday to eat the cow, which it had killed. Though the forest department officials who were waiting to trap the tiger with a cage had heard the sound, by the time they reached the spot, the tiger had fled.

About 25 kg meat was eaten away by the tiger, said Ponnampet RFO K R Gopalakrishna. The cages have been kept at Tavalageri and Harihara to trap the tiger over the last one week.

However, the tiger, which has been changing its route daily and has been killing cow and has hence created tension in the region. The forest department officials are also worried over the issue.

“The Tiger must be hiding inside the coffee estate inside the forest.  If we go near, there is possibility of the tiger pouncing at us. Tiger had not attacked any villager so far,” said RFO Gopalakrishna.

Assembly Speaker K G Bopaiah visited the spot on Saturday and distributed cheques to those who lost their cattle.  A team of 20 forest officials led by Wildlife division DCF Motappa, Ponnampet RFO Gopalakrishna and Srimangala RFO Srinivas Nayak have started the operation to catch tiger.