Female tiger and three cubs rescued near Gundlupet

A five-year-old female tiger and her three cubs were rescued near Kallahalli at Gundlupet taluk in the early hours of Monday. Forest officials said the tigress had been straying out of the forest and attacking domestic animals in nearby villages.

Forest Minister Eshwar B. Khandre said the operation was carried out only after confirming that the tiger had been repeatedly entering human habitation and attacking cattle. “The forest staff safely secured the cubs as well during the operation,” he said.

The tigress and her cubs are currently under veterinary supervision in Bandipur.

The Minister said efforts to monitor tiger movement along the forest fringes are continuing, as there have been frequent sightings of big cats in human settlements bordering Bandipur and Nagarahole Tiger Reserves. This has caused anxiety among villagers.

He said the department has been instructed to identify and capture tigers that pose a threat to settlements and attack livestock in villages on the forest borders.

Forest authorities in the Gundlupet sub-division said that the tigress, which had sparked fear among villagers in Kallahalli, Pasadagur, and surrounding areas in the buffer zone of Bandipur Tiger Reserve, was identified through camera traps as Bandipur 26_GP1. The capture operation began after the animal’s movement was confirmed, and she was successfully captured on Monday (November 10) morning.

The operation was carried out under the guidance of the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife), Bengaluru, and the Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife), Bengaluru, and led on the ground by Bandipur Tiger Reserve Director S. Prabhakaran, with the support of forest officers and veterinarians.

Drones had been deployed to track the elusive tigress. Forest personnel from Bengaluru, Kolar, M.M. Hills, BRT, and Cauvery wildlife divisions assisted, along with staff from the Moolehole and Gundlupet buffer zones and the Special Tiger Conservation Squad. Camp elephants Bheema, Sugreeva, Mahendra, and Lakshmana were also used in the operation.

Conservator of Forests (Project Tiger) Dr. Ramesh Kumar and Conservator of Forests (Mysuru Circle) Ravishankar S.S. supervised the efforts. Deputy Conservator of Forests K. Paramesh was also present during the operation.