MYSURU: Close on the heels of the deaths of three farmers in a span of one month, the Forest Department has revealed 21 tigers have entered the human-dominated areas from the forest. The villagers in the forest fringe areas of Mysuru district are now living in fear due to frequent tiger attacks.
According to the Forest department, 26 tigers had entered the human-dominated areas, out of which five have been captured. The remaining 21 tigers are still roaming in the area, said Deputy Conservator of Forests, Paramesh.
The tigers are spread across different areas — eight in H.D. Kote forest fringe villages, three in Saragur taluk’s forest fringe villages, and 10 in Mysuru’s forest fringe villages. DCF Paramesh told Public TV that the department is conducting a three-shift operation daily to capture the tigers. The operation is being carried out with the help of trained snare teams, and thermal drones are also being used.
Apart from capturing the tigers, the Forest Department is taking measures to prevent further attacks. They have distributed 10,000 masks to farmers, which they are advised to wear on the back of their heads while working in the fields to prevent tiger attacks.
The villagers can hope to breathe a sigh of relief only after all the tigers are captured or return to the forest on their own. The operation to capture the tigers is currently under way in the Hediyala subdivision’s Moleyur and Nugu zones in Bandipur.
