Karnataka Forest department officials on Sunday found a carcass of a tiger on the banks of lakshman Teertha River in Nittur on the periphery of Nagarahole National park. The tiger was about 9-10 years old and had sustained injuries when trying to eat a porcupine. It eventually succumbed to its injuries in the outskirts of Nagarahole National Park.
According to forest officials the tiger had attacked a plantation labourer Kariya and the big cat had suffered injuries on its face. The injuries had severely hindered the tiger's ability to hunt.
Chief Conservator of Forests of Kodagu district Manoj Kumar has said the dead tiger was the same which had attacked a labourer recently. During the past few days, more than 80 personnel including tiger conservation force, veterinary doctors and drone cameras were deployed to capture the animal in a bid to prevent future attacks.
This is the fifth tiger death in a span of just 25 days. The first tiger death of this month was reported on January 4, when the carcass of an aged tigress was found in DB Kuppe forest range in Nagarahole.
On January 13, a tiger succumbed to injuries while being shifted from Bandipur to Bannerghatta Biological Park. On January 16, a tigress died of alleged tranquiliser overdose when it was darted near the Antharasanthe forest range of Nagarahole National Park. On Wednesday, another tiger rescued from snare trap in Nittur, succumbed to injuries at Koorgally Animal Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre in Mysuru.
As per the last Tiger census Karnataka has over 400 tigers, highest in the country. The unnatural death of the big cats in the State is a cause of worry over its conservation efforts.