The tiger that mauled a tribal man to death at Maddur Colony in Gundlupet taluk of Chamarajanagar district on Friday has been sighted. Its images have been captured through camera-trapping method.
The Forest Department achieved this minor breakthrough on Saturday night and Sunday morning, and installation of 10 camera traps paid dividend. The tiger was close to the place where Javaraiah was killed inside the forests on Friday.
Conservator of Forests H.C. Kantharaju said a few images seemed to indicate a snare around the animal’s limbs. This fuelled speculation that the tiger was injured and may have turned to preying on human beings, he said.
“The images were transmitted to Bangalore, enlarged and analysed. Experts have ruled out the presence of any snare. It was clarified that what was perceived to be a snare was a portion of a thorny creeper entwined to the tiger’s limbs,” Mr. Kantharaju said. The animal is reckoned to be a healthy female and it is suspected that it could have cubs in the vicinity.
In view of the confirmation of the tiger’s presence and doubts about the presence of cubs, the authorities have installed five additional camera traps hoping to get their images on Monday. “We will match the images with the database of tigers available with the Forest Department and wildlife scientists and try to identify the tiger and ascertain its age. If the animal is found to be old, it will be captured and shifted to the Bannerghatta rescue centre. But a final decision will be taken only after establishing its identity and age,” Mr. Kantharaju said.
Combing operationMeanwhile, combing operation, with the help of elephants brought from Bandipur, to track the tiger will commence at dawn on Monday.
