Mysuru: Officials launch operation to nab tiger that killed 8-year-old

The forest officials on Tuesday launched an operation to catch the tiger which killed an 8-year-old boy on Monday, officials familiar with the matter said̤.

According to officials, the tiger attacked and killed the boy who was playing under a tree in Kallahatti village, HD Kote taluk of Mysuru district on Monday afternoon. The boy, identified as Charan Naika, was a 2nd class student at Siddapura government primary school.

The boy’s father, Krishna Nayak, who was working in the nearby farm, was unaware of the incident until he could not find his son. He later discovered Charan’s body in a bush in the farm.

The villagers and the family of the deceased staged protest at the scene, demanding answers from the forest department. It was revealed that for the past week, a tiger had been seen roaming in the vicinity, and villagers had reported about the same to the forest authorities. Outraged, the villagers accused the department of negligence, asserting that the boy’s death could have been prevented if the department had taken a prompt action.

HD Kote MLA Anil Chikkamadu arrived at the scene to pacify the agitated villagers. Forest officials announced a compensation of ₹15 lakh to the grieving family and assured them of further government support.The boy’s body was sent to the HD Kote government hospital for post-mortem, and subsequently, it was handed over to the family on Monday night.

In response to the incident, a team of forest officials has launched an operation to capture the tiger responsible for the attack. They have urged villagers to remain indoors in the evenings and to report any tiger sightings promptly.

“We launched the operation at 5.30 am with more than 100 officers and staff,” Nagarhole wildlife sanctuary director and DCF Harsha Kumar Chikka Naragund told HT. He said Dasara elephants Arjuna, Bhima and Ashwathama are being used in the operation, adding that they have installed more than 30 trap cameras and placed 15 cages in various parts of the forest. “We suspect that the tiger is aged about 9-10 years and was sighted by the villagers last week. Thermal camera is also being used to track the tiger. We have found pug marks today,” he said.