A forest watcher attached to an Anti-Poaching Camp (APC) at Bandipur Tiger Reserve (BTR) in Karnataka was killed by a tiger on Saturday.
The attack took place near Maralahalla, Gundlupet taluk of Chamarajanagar district. The deceased is identified as Sanna Haida, 56. He was on a beat near the APC along with four colleagues when the tiger attacked him around noon.
The rest of the members of the APC raised a cry, due to which the tiger fled. The watcher, however, died on the spot.
Karnataka Forest, Ecology and Environment Minister Eshwar Khandre condoled the incident and said that the government stands with the family of the victim. Financial assistance will be provided to the bereaved family as per rules, the minister said.
Over the past two months, tiger attacks have claimed four lives near BTR and Nagarahole Tiger Reserve, located in the southern part of the state. Several tigers have been captured by the Department over the past few months after they either attacked residents or cattle, or were found near human habitations.
On Tuesday, the Forest Department launched an operation to capture five tigers found near a quarry near Chamarajanagar. The operation is still ongoing, with five elephants of the Forest Department deployed to aid in the capture of tigers.