Tiger found dead in Karnataka's Kodagu

A tiger, aged between two and three who was found dead at Nangala in Bittangala GP limits in Kodagu was said to have suffered injuries in a territorial fight and died.

The postmortem has been conducted and the report is awaited.

There were no bullet injuries on the body of the tiger as claimed, said DCF (Wildlife) in Madikeri and in -charge DCF of Virjpet Shivaram Babu to DH.

"The forest department received an order from the government to capture the tiger that created fear among the villagers in Siddapura, Bittangala, Maldare, Badagabanangala, Margolly and other surrounding villages. The staff from the forest department increased combing operations to spot the tiger and efforts are on to capture it", he said.

Further, the Forest Department has set up camera traps at 50 to 60 locations to monitor the possible movement of tigers in the area wherever pug marks were spotted and the death of cattle was reported due to the attack by big cats. CC cameras have been placed in several villages where the movement of tigers has been reported. “The department is trying its level best to capture the tiger. Around 10 cages have been kept at various locations with prey to capture the tiger as well,” said the DCF.

It is difficult to ascertain the number of tigers that have strayed into the villages in Virajpet as tigers stray into the villages at the night and return back to the forest. More than 30 staff of the department have been carrying out combing operations in the estates at Maldare, Badagabanangala, Margolly and other surrounding villages.

The forest department staff have been camping at the Margolly estate at Badagabanangala to capture the tiger. A watch tower has been erected at the spot where the tiger had killed a wild cattle recently in the area.