Mysuru/Chamarajanagar: Twelve days after a farmer was killed in a suspected tiger attack in Badagalapura village of Chamarajanagar district, forest officials rescued a tiger from nearby Tavarekatte Moole village early on Saturday.
The tiger, estimated to be around five years old, was tranquilised at around 6 am and safely rescued by personnel of the BRT Tiger Reserve.
Forest officials suspect that the rescued animal could be the same tiger involved in the attack that claimed the life of farmer Basavanna in Badagalapura.
Tiger shifted to Mysuru rehabilitation centre
Following directions from the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife), Bengaluru, the rescued tiger was shifted to the rehabilitation centre at Koorgalli in Mysuru.
The animal will remain under observation and receive further care and monitoring at the centre.
Basavanna was killed in a suspected wild animal attack on September 14 while he was working in Badagalapura village. The village is situated along the fringes of the BRT Tiger Reserve in Chamarajanagar taluk.
Following the incident, the Forest Department launched an operation on September 15 to trace and capture the animal believed to have been involved in the attack.
Extensive operation launched after attack
The capture operation was conducted under the guidance of Malathi Priya M, Chief Conservator of Forests, Chamarajanagar Circle.
Forest officials installed camera traps and cages at and around the attack site as well as in nearby forest areas to track the movement of the suspected tiger.
The operation was led by BRT Tiger Reserve Director and Deputy Conservator of Forests Shripathi B.
Two trained elephants, Kanjan and Eshwara, were deployed during the search operation. The Forest Department also used two thermal drones to identify the animal’s movement and location.
Forest personnel, trackers deployed
A veterinary officer, trained tribal trackers and 65 Forest Department personnel were involved in the operation.
After several days of efforts to identify and capture the suspected animal, officials tranquilised a tiger at Tavarekatte Moole early on Saturday.
The animal was subsequently transported to the rehabilitation centre at Koorgalli as directed by the wildlife authorities.
Forest officials are expected to continue monitoring the tiger at the rehabilitation centre while further assessment is carried out to establish whether it was involved in the fatal attack on Basavanna.