Four lives were lost due to tiger attacks in the hilly district of Kodagu. Fearing for their life and that of their livestock, the residents have taken up the matter with the forest department.
Supreme Court advocate and Congress spokesperson Brijesh Kalappa said, "Kodagu has hundreds of gun license holders who are fully capable of dealing with this crisis. Yet, the forest department is prevaricating"
Attacks last month
Similar incident took place earlier in the month of February, when two lives were lost due to consecutive tiger attacks. One 60 year old estate labourer from Chenni, staying in a house in Kodagu, was killed by the tiger when she headed out of the house.
Another boy, 14-year-old Aiyappa, was killed in the tiger attack at Kumturu village, just 10 km away from T Shettigeri.
The villagers protested against the forest department for negligent actions and alleged that the forest department had caught the wrong tiger. Their worries were affirmed after the villagers learnt about another tiger attack at Tavalageri village, within one kilometer distance from the spot where the woman was killed.
In the last five years there has been a rise in the tiger menace in Kutta, Nanacchi, Brahmagiri haadi, Nalkeri, Kanoor, Vaddaramadu, Karmadu, Kottegeri, Nittur, Balele, Mallur, Devanoor, Rajapura, Sulugodu, Konanakatte, Thithimathi, Maldare, Brahmagi range, Birunani, Beeruga, Kurchi and Srimangala areas.
Hundreds of cattle have been killed in the last five years in a 50-km radius from Birunani to Maldare. Owing to the continuous rise in the tiger menace, several people have stopped rearing cattle.
Several netizens react
"It's been reported that the Tahsildar has imposed restrictions under Section 144. Isn't it unfair and illegal to curb the right to protest peacefully?" said one user.
"This absolute failure of state government@CMofKarnataka and incompetent staffs at@aranya_kfd," wrote another.
