Growing Tiger Threat Raises Concern Across the District

Siddapura, Oct 25: The menace of tigers has intensified in Kodagu district, with the animals venturing out of the forests into human-inhabited areas in search of prey. Within the forest, tigers often clash over territory; those that sustain injuries or fail to secure a territory are driven to enter human settlements to hunt. Furthermore, some older tigers, no longer able to survive in the wild, are also encroaching upon inhabited areas.

Several incidents have recently come to light where tigers have crossed over from protected reserves into human settlements, killing livestock—including valuable cattle—devouring their flesh, and leaving behind the carcasses. In the southern part of Kodagu district, a high number of livestock have fallen victim to tiger attacks. Specifically, within the 'Tiger Zone'—covering the Bittangala, Kolathodu, Baigodu, and Maitadi areas of the Virajpet forest range, as well as the Badaga-Banangala villages in the Thithimathi forest range—numerous instances of tigers killing farmers' livestock have been reported.

Many farmers, who rely on dairy farming—rearing cattle worth lakhs of rupees—for their livelihood, have been plunged into severe distress following the loss of their animals to these tiger attacks. Farmers have alleged that the government is displaying negligence by failing to provide adequate compensation for the loss of high-breed cattle worth lakhs of rupees. Although the farmers have protested multiple times, the Forest Department has offered only Rs. 35,000 as compensation—an amount they deem insufficient.

In various villages across South Kodagu, a tiger has been attacking domestic cattle in broad daylight, causing widespread alarm. Villagers in Belluru, a single village in South Kodagu, reported that a tiger has killed over 50 head of cattle; in one instance, 13 cows belonging to a single farmer were killed. Furthermore, in tribal settlements (*hadis*) such as Marapala and Chinnihadlu—located within the Thithimathi-Hunsur wildlife range—a tiger has attacked and killed more than 30 cattle and buffaloes. Residents of these settlements state that they are living in a constant state of fear. Villagers have also reported that the tiger is causing a menace in areas falling under the Anechaukuru wildlife range.

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