MADIKERI: The tiger footfall is back in South Kodagu even as residents captured the movement of a tiger at close human proximity.
On Wednesday noon, a prowling tiger spotted at Harihara village in Ponnampet taluk, reigniting the fear among farmers, labourers and other residents.
T Shettigeri, 2nd Rudraguppe, Harihara, K Badaga and surrounding areas have become a tiger conflict zone in the recent past even as two humans were killed in a tiger attack reported in February last year. The footfall of tigers is back again in these villages as several cattle have lost lives to the recent tiger attacks reported at T Shettigeri, Srimangala and surrounding areas. However, on Wednesday morning, a tiger was spotted at close human proximity and it was sighted near the Harihara temple lake.
“The tiger looked very weak. It drank water from the temple lake and headed back to the forest,” said K Naveen Subbaiah, who has captured the movement of this tiger on his mobile phone.
The spotting of the tiger at such close human proximity has brought back the worries among the residents who demanded the immediate capture of the tiger. The villagers said that since it is summer, several tigers from the Nagarahole Tiger Reserve are migrating to the forest fringes and are entering the village limits in search of water and easy prey.
They alleged that the estates offer better shade and water to the wild beings than the forests. Meanwhile, the Forest Department has installed trap cameras across the conflict zones. “We have placed cameras at all the places where tiger spotting was reported. We are collecting details on tigers that are frequently entering the village limits. Combing operation is being undertaken at the spot where a tiger was spotted on Wednesday morning,” confirmed Shankar, Range Forest officer.
