The tiger that is suspected to have killed two persons during the week in the D.B. Kuppe range of Nagarahole National Park was successfully tranquillised on Friday.
The operation to trap the big cat began early in the day. Seven elephants — most of them having taken part in the Jamboo Savari during Dasara — were pressed into combing operations. Additional staff from the Mysuru territorial, zoo, Kodagu forest division, and Nagarahole were pressed into service.
Howdah elephant Arjuna, along with Abhimanyu, Gopalswamy, Bheema, Krishna, Ganesha, and Sarala were in the forefront carrying veterinary assistant Akram, who sighted the tiger on the jungle game road. Arjuna followed the tiger, which tried to hide behind some vegetation. But Arjuna took a detour, and the crouching tiger came into view. Akram then fired the tranquillising dart which found its mark.
The tiger was immediately covered with a net and transferred to a cage. As soon as it revived, it was shifted to the Mysuru zoo for examination. It is expected to be shifted later to the Chamundi Animal Conservation, Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre at Koorgalli on the outskirts of Mysuru.
The PCCF (Wildlife) Jayaram, who led the operation told The Hindu they knew where the tiger was based on camera trap images. The tiger was found to have a slight deformity in one limb, and hunting for food must have been tough. Besides, the pug marks tracked indicated that it was unable to move swiftly.
Apart from the elephants which scoured the area, a drone was also used to monitor activities on the ground. Based on the information the elephants fanned out across the DB Kuppe range and the tiger was sighted and darted a little after noon.
There was tension when hundreds of villagers gathered on the road demanding to see the tiger as they suspected that the authorities were trying to hoodwink them.
Compensation
Meanwhile, the body of Kencha, who was attacked by the tiger on Thursday, was shifted to H.D. Kote hospital for post-mortem. The authorities have announced a compensation of ₹5 lakh to his family members. One of Kencha’s daughter’s had lost her husband early this week.
The local community around Macchur, where the attack took place, blamed the rise in tourism for the disturbance in the habitat.