Tigers roam free on south Kodagu roads in Madikeri

MADIKERI: The frequent sighting of tigers is giving sleepless nights to the people residing in rural parts of south Kodagu. Several people have spotted tigers crossing the roads in broad daylight.

Recently, passengers travelling on a bus, saw a tiger crossing the main road in Nittur village. Bopaiah A, a local resident, said, “One need not go to Nagarahole or other wildlife safaris to see a tiger as they can be easily spotted in the villages of south Kodagu including Nitturu and Karmadu. The authorities need to take preventive measures before something untoward happens. The increasing number of tourists to the forests is driving wildlife to the fringes.”

Six human lives have been lost and over 200 cattle killed in tiger attacks since 2021 and there seems to be no solution in sight. It is high time the forest department did something about it, the villagers say.

Several missions undertaken by the forest department to capture the tigers in the past have failed. While railway barricades have been put up and trenches dug out to control the elephant menace to some extent, nothing has been done to restrict the movement of tigers within forest limits.