Mysore: Man-eater tiger caught finally

The animal, which had pounced on three villagers and killed them, had spread terror in villages adjoining the reserve forests of Bandipur and HD Kote. The Forest Department caught the tiger at 12.15 pm after tranquilising it, just 100 metres from where it had killed Heggadahalli Basappa in Chikka Baragi village in HD Kote taluk.

A group of veterinarians gathered on Thursday morning and resumed the search for the tiger. Dr Sanath from Bannerghatta National Park, Dr Prashanth from Mysore Zoo, Dr Umashankar from Nagarahole National Park, Dr Nagaraj from Bandipur National Park and Dr Prayag from Biligiri Ranga Tiger Reserve spearheaded the operations. Mounted on the tamed Dasara elephant Kanthi, Dr Sanath tranquillised the tiger. His team located the tiger by tracking its pug marks.

In one case, the tiger had scooped out the skull and tore apart the victim's leg. The killings had been raised in the state legislature, prompting the government to order its elimination.

After its capture, the tiger was shifted to the local forest office and kept under observation in a cage, and was later moved to the Mysore zoo. The male tiger, about 12 years old, is huge and strong. It shows evidence of a fight with other animals in the forest, during which it has sustained minor injuries. Its jaw area is pierced by wild boar quills.

The tiger's lower row of teeth is worn out, and it cannot eat its prey after the kill, a forest official said. “If it remains in the forest, it will die of starvation,” he said.

Although the operation was successful, forest officials soon encountered irate villagers who urged them to kill the big cat. It has already killed three villagers and should be shot dead at once, residents of Chikka Baragi pressed the officials. It was not easy for the forest personnel to convince villagers that the tiger should be spared and taken to the Mysore zoo. “In Mysore, we will first remove the quills that have pierced its mouth. Higher officials will take a decision on whether it should be shifted to the Bannerghatta National Park or elsewhere,” Bandipur Tiger Reserve director H C Kantharaju said.

As news of the capture spread, every village on the way insisted the tiger should be stopped for a while for public viewing. Forest officials then enlisted police support and took the animal to Mysore through the Moolehole and Maddur Range Forests. The government has not issued any shoot-at-sight orders for the second tiger that killed a villager last week.