Eight-year-old boy killed by tiger in Karnataka's Kodagu; third death in last 14 days

Enraged over the incident, villagers have blocked the Ponnampet-Kutta Road demanding shoot-on-sight order of the maneater tiger.
Image for representational purpose only. ( File | EPS)
Image for representational purpose only. ( File | EPS)

MADIKERI: An eight-year-old boy was killed in a tiger attack in Belluru village of Kodagu district on Monday. 

The incident took place when a 55-year-old labourer, Kencha, was carrying out sprinkler work at the estate belonging to one CK Subbaiah. He was accompanied by his grandson Ramaswamy who was watching his grandfather work. The tiger attacked the duo that left Ramaswamy dead and Kencha severely injured.

The forest department personnel were conducting a combing operation just a kilometer away from the attack site. On getting alerted by the locals, they rushed to the spot and shifted Ramaswamy's body immediately. Kencha too was hospitalised in Mysuru for treatment. 

Enraged over the incident, villagers have blocked the Ponnampet-Kutta Road demanding shoot-on-sight order of the maneater tiger. They have also expressed their anguish over the unsuccessful attempts by the department that has not been able to capture the stray animal in the last two weeks. 

The tiger had reportedly migrated from Nagarhole Tiger reserve and all efforts to tranquilise the animal have been futile. The villagers also voiced their opposition against the state forest minister and people's representatives of the district for not being able to keep the locals of South Kodagu safe. 

This is the third death due to a tiger attack in the last 14 days. On February 20, two lives were lost in T Shettigeri and Kumturu villages of the district. However, the forest department captured a tigress in Manchalli village the next day and declared it to be the claimed man-eater. 

There have been reports of several cattle deaths in the surrounding villages since then. 

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