Tiger continues to evade forest teams despite massive combing

Chamarajanagar: A tiger that has been frequently appearing near villages, creating panic among residents and vanishing without a trace, continues to outsmart forest officials. Despite intense combing operations, the big cat has managed to remain elusive, leaving 62 forest personnel frustrated and exhausted.

For over a month now, villagers of Maddayanahundi in Gundlupet taluk have been living in fear as the tiger repeatedly ventures out of the forest, preying on cattle and disturbing their daily lives. To capture the predator, the staff of Bandipur Tiger Reserve launched a large-scale operation. However, even after three days of relentless search, the authorities have failed to find any concrete clue.

Led by Assistant Conservator of Forests Suresh, the combing operation was initiated after locals sighted the tiger near a lake and demanded urgent action. Rohith, a well-known elephant squad leader from Rampura camp nicknamed the “Combing King”was brought in with elephants to assist in the capture. Drones are also being deployed to track the animal’s movements.

The tiger’s pugmarks were spotted in the Chenmallipur and Berambadi regions, prompting the deployment of a strong team. The operation includes veterinary officer Dr. Vaseem Mirza, DRF officers Ravi and Shivakumar, STPF RFO Vairamudi, along with 62 personnel in total.

Despite the extensive manpower and resources, the elusive tiger has turned the operation into a cat-and-mouse chase. Farmers, who fear further cattle loss and possible human attacks, have urged the department to trap the animal at the earliest.

For now, the hope among villagers and forest staff is that the tiger is captured soon before another tragedy occurs in Chamarajanagar district, which has already witnessed multiple tiger-related incidents in recent months.