Tiger that claimed three lives tranquilized, trapped

BANGALORE: A tiger on which a shoot-at-sight order had been issued for killing three people in less than a week was tranquilized and trapped at Chikkabargi forests on Thursday near HD Kote taluk in Mysore district, police said.

"The tiger was found around the same place where a 55-year-old farmer tending to his cattle was attacked on Tuesday. It was trapped after administering a tranquilizer," a HD Kote police official told PTI.

He said the tiger is aged and it is being taken to Mysore zoo where officials will decide whether to place the tiger at Mysore Zoo or to Bannerghatta Biological Park near Bangalore.

The attacks by the big cat have claimed four lives in the belt of two adjoining national parks of Bandipur and Nagarahole in recent days, sparking protests by locals and a combing operation by forest officials.

Forest minister Ramanath Rai also told the legislative council in Belgaum, where the legislature session is on, that the tiger fell into trap laid by forest department. It will be sent to Mysore Zoo, he said.

Apart from three tiger attacks in Bandipur, a forest watcher was killed in Nagarahole range on Saturday in a similar incident.