Chamarajanagar, (Karnataka) Dec 22 Tension gripped residents of the Chamarajanagara taluk in Karnataka's Chamarajanagar district after five tigers were spotted together near the Nanjedevpura village on Monday.
Area residents have been instructed not to venture out of their homes or gather in groups as a precautionary measure.
Considering the potential threat to public safety, Chamarajanagar tahsildar Girija has imposed prohibitory orders in three villages — Nanjedevpura, Veeranapura, and Udigala — from Monday onwards until 6 p.m. on Tuesday.
The tahsildar has appealed to villagers to cooperate with the authorities to prevent any untoward incidents during the operation.
Forest Department personnel have tracked the location of the tigers, which are believed to be camping in a stone quarry area near the village. However, officials said the operation to capture or tranquilise the animals is proving challenging, as there are only two veterinarians available in the entire district.
During drone surveillance, forest officials detected pugmarks of a tigress and her cubs at the stone quarry, confirming the presence of all five tigers in the area.
Meanwhile, elephants Eshwara and Lakshmana from the Dubare elephant camp have already reached the location, and combing operations have been launched.
Villagers of Nanjedevpura welcomed the elephant squad by performing special prayers.
Local Congress MLA Puttarangashetty has been camping at the spot and is closely monitoring the situation. He also carried out an inspection along with forest officials.
The state government has assured that additional trained elephants and experienced veterinarians will be sent to assist in the operation.
Forest officials said the situation is being closely monitored and further steps will be taken to ensure the safety of both residents and wildlife.
Chamarajanagar district and buffer zones of the Bandipur Tiger Reserve (BTR) have seen recurring tiger incidents, including sightings near villages, livestock attacks and past fatalities, leading to intensified combing operations by forest teams.
A total of 23 tigers (adults and cubs) have been rescued in operations carried out since mid-October around the Bandipur and Nagarahole reserves in the region. These include multiple instances where tiger cubs were found straying near villages or separated from their mothers and were brought into custody for rehabilitation.
In an incident that made national news, a tigress and her four cubs were poisoned to death by villagers in the Male Mahadeshwara (MM) Hills Wildlife Sanctuary in Chamarajanagar in June this year.
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