Partially devoured body of missing tribal found in Bandipur Tiger Reserve

Preliminary enquiry revealed that Basavaiah had gone to collect firewood from inside the forest area. When he did not return home, the officials concerned were alerted and a search was conducted.

Chamarajanagara, Karnataka: A partially eaten body of a 50-year-old tribal man was found on a hillock in Kundakere range of Bandipur Tiger Reserve on Tuesday morning.

Preliminary enquiry revealed that Basavaiah had gone to collect firewood from inside the forest area on Monday evening. When he did not return home, the officials concerned were alerted and a search was conducted, forest officials said.

Bandipur Tiger Reserve Director Ramesh Kumar who along with his team visited the spot after the tribal man was reported missing. A search was launched and his partially devoured body was recovered on a hillock in Kundakere range, they said.

"Our team had to trek nearly three kilometers inside the forest area looking for the body. We found a half-eaten body. Only his head, hand and upper back of the body which was partially eaten by the animal has been recovered so far. We suspect it to be a case of tiger attack. However, our teams are trying to trace other parts of the body as well to ascertain if the man was indeed attacked by tiger or any other animal," Kumar told PTI.