Tiger safaris in Karnataka’s Nagarahole and Bandipur wildlife reserves were suspended on Friday on the directions of the state forest minister following the third death linked to a tiger attack last month in the contiguous forest area bordering Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
“The loss of three precious lives due to tiger attacks last month on the edge of Bandipur and Nagarhole forests in Mysore and Chamarajanagar districts is extremely painful,” Forest Minister Ishwar Khandre said.
Khanderi also said, “Farmers have expressed their opinion that wildlife is moving out of the forest due to the discomfort of safari. Forest officials have stated that there is a shortage of personnel for tiger capture operations,” Khanderi also said.
“In this context, clear instructions have been issued to close safaris in Nagarhole and Bandipur from today until further orders and to stop trekking activities in areas where there is human-wildlife conflict,” the minister said in an official statement on Friday.
“All officers and vehicle drivers assigned to Bandipur and Nagarhole safari should be deployed for the tiger capture operation. The APCCF (Additional Chief Conservator of Forests) of the Wildlife Department and tiger project managers have been asked to camp at the site and take necessary action to nab the tiger which attacks frequently,” he added.
The minister’s directions to the chief conservator of forests and chief wildlife warden to stop safari came after the death of villager Chudaya Nayak, 35, in a leopard attack near Hill Hegodilu village in Muliyur district of Sarajur taluk under Chamarajanagar district on Friday.
Following two previous incidents of tiger attacks in October, forest officials and elected representatives of the region held meetings with farmers in a bid to prevent such incidents and capture the suspected tiger.
(Tags for translation)Tiger safari
