Forest department personnel successfully trapped a large male tiger near Nanjedevarapura village in Chamarajanagar taluk late Tuesday night around 10:30 PM. The operation relied on trained elephants to corner the animal in a coordinated drive.

Drone surveillance first located the approximately six-year-old tiger that morning, allowing teams to track its movements throughout the day. By nightfall, five elephants assisted staff in a combing exercise, enabling veterinarians to administer a tranquiliser dart safely.

Veterinary doctor Adarsh delivered the sedative shot, bringing the massive cat under control without incident. Deputy Conservator of Forests Sripathi, Assistant Conservator of Forests Manjunath, and other team members played key roles in the effort. Officials identified this tiger as one frequently sighted in areas like Kalpura, confirming it as a separate individual from the family group recorded earlier. After capture, authorities transported the sedated animal to the Bandipur Tiger Reserve (BRT) forest for further monitoring and release protocols.

The drive stemmed from footage captured on December 20 showing a tigress accompanied by four cubs in a local farm belonging to Prashant. Since then, elephant-backed patrols have persisted to ensure public safety and manage potential human-wildlife conflict.

However, recent sightings of the mother and her cubs around Nanjedevarapura and Veeranapura have ceased, leading experts to suspect the family shifted to another territory deeper in the wilderness.