An 11-year-old female tiger was rescued by a team of forest officials from a group of people who attacked the tiger with stones, and wooden sticks and attempted to kill the tiger on Tuesday night at a tomato field near Naganapura of Nanjangud taluk in the district.
Conservator of Forest, Bandipur Tiger Reserve P. Ramesh Kumar and RFO of Hediyala range K.R Narayan informed that the tigress was seen at the field in the Hediyala range of Bandipur Tiger Reserve. After seeing the tiger more than 200 people gathered and surrounded the field. They started throwing stones and attacked with the intention of killing the tigress. After getting the news, forest department officials reached the spot and requested the villagers and local people not to harm the big cat.
The tigress inflicted scratches on two men. Later, police personnel and more forest department staff came and brought the situation under control. The official informed that the people abused forest department personnel and tried to push them towards the tiger, forcing them to catch and saying 'let it eat them'.
During the two-hour operation, Bandipur Veterinarian Dr. Mirza Wasim darted at the tiger and rescued her. P. Ramesh Kumar said that it is one of the quickest rescues of the tiger and the tiger is now translocated to Chamundeshwari Wild Animal Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre at Koorgalli in Mysuru. In all this, the female tiger got an injury in the right eye and on the limbs.
It is suspected that owing to a territorial fight the tigress might have come out of the forest as a few old injuries were found on its body. RFO Narayan has demanded that a case should be filed against the villagers who attacked the tiger and not give any compensation or treatment expenses for those injured. Injured people have been admitted to a private hospital in Mysuru.