A boy was killed and his grandfather a plantation worker seriously injured in a tiger attack at Belluru village in Ponnampet taluk of Kodagu district on Monday. The victim was identified as Rangaswamy, 8, while his grandfather, Kencha, a plantation worker, has been hospitalised.
Conservator of Forests T. Hiralal said the Forest Department team has identified the marauding tiger, which is about 10 years old. The official said the team has tracked the animal to a sacred grove or
devara kaadu. The combing operations are on and the tiger has been cornered, he added.
Earlier in the day, the team had tried to tranquilise the animal which was lurking in the bushes but sources said the tranquiliser dart missed its mark. The marksmen accompanying a foot patrol team had come close to the tiger and hence were forced to open fire but the tiger escaped. A senior official said the combing and tracking operation would was suspended late in the evening and will resume at dawn.
Monday's incident is the third human death due to a tiger attack in Kodagu in the last three weeks and has resulted in widespread anger against the authorities for their failure to curb human-animal conflict.
Comment: Tiger attacks on people skyrocket in the Sundarbans, India - 70 in 3 months with 40 deaths