Mysuru: A tiger attacked and killed a boy who had gone to the forest to fetch firewood. The incident took place near DB Kuppe Wildlife Zone of HD Kote Taluk of Nagarahole Tiger Reserve on Sunday January 22. The deceased has been identified as Manju (17) of Belle Tribal Colony who had gone to the forest to fetch firewood as usual. A tiger suddenly attacked him. Due to the intensity of the attack, the young man sustained serious injury on his head and it is learnt that he died on the spot.
The relatives of the deceased protested against the Forest Department regarding the incident. A protest was held in front of the DB Kuppe Forest Department under the leadership of DB Kuppe and N. Belattur Gram Panchayat Members Shivakumar, Ramesh, Puttanna, Subrahmanya and Tribals’ Forest Rights’ President Mastiah.
ACF Rangaswamy of Metikuppe Range came to the spot and persuaded the protestors. Later, the relatives of the deceased gave up their protest and allowed the post-mortem examination of the dead body.
Speaking to mediapersons, ACF Rangaswamy said that the incident took place when the young man was collecting firewood near the river. The family of the deceased will be provided with a compensation of Rs. 15 Lakh from the Government. He said that now a compensation check of Rs 2 Lakh 50 thousand has been given. Gram Panchayat Member Shivakumar demanded that appropriate compensation should be provided to the family of the deceased immediately.
In January 2019, two tigers killed two people within a month near DB Kuppe. A tiger attacked a man named Chinnappa of Hulumattalu Village who had gone to open defecation and died. A few days later a man named Madhu was a victim of a tiger attack. In the month of last December, a tiger attacked a farmer who was grazing cattle in the farm in Ballur Hundi Village of Nanjangudu Taluk. The tiger fled into forest when farmers raised alarm. In the incident, the farmer sustained serious injuries on his head and cheek. Later he was admitted to the hospital by Forest Department officials.
Farmers living on border of forests are afraid to go to their lands in the wake of tiger attacks. Farmers are fed up with tiger attacks and the locals have expressed outrage that such incidents are happening due to the negligence of the department. The villagers have demanded immediate capture of the tiger.
