Girl faints after spotting a tiger

A girl student fainted after she confronted a tiger on her way to school, on Wednesday morning.

The incident took place in T Shettigeri.

When the girl, Bottangada Tasma Dechamma, studying in second PUC in Ponnampet Government PU College, was on her way to the college, via a coffee plantation at 7.30 am, a tiger came out of the bushes all of a sudden.

Seeing the tiger from close proximity, a terrified Dechamma fainted and fell on the spot. As a result, she suffered a head injury.

Dechamma was provided with first aid at Srimangala Primary Health Centre. The doctors treating her said she is recovering.

Farmer leaders Chettangada Kamba Karumbaiah, Chettangada Kiran and Chettangada Bipin Bopanna visited the hospital and vented their anger at the forest department and urged the department to compensate the victim.

The tiger which is now camping in the coffee plantation should be driven to the forest, they demanded.

Srimangala RFO Veerendra Kumar said that the department will bear the expenses for the treatment of the student.

Personnel from Nagarhole Tiger Reserve conducted a search operation at the plantation. However, the tiger could not be found.