Karnataka: Two killed in separate tiger attack within 12 hours in Kodagu, locals panic

A 12-year-old boy was killed on Sunday evening, while a 70-year-old man was mauled to death on Monday morning in Kodagu district. Forest officials believe that the same tiger is behind both attacks within 24 hours.

Kodagu: A septuagenarian was killed by a tiger when he was working in the fields in Paleri village near Kutta in Ponnampet taluk in Kodagu district on Monday morning. The attack follows another incident in which a 12-year-old boy was mauled to death by a tiger on Sunday evening.

Forest officials believe that the same tiger is suspected to have carried out both the attacks in a span of less than 24 hours in the same neighbourhood. A forest official revealed the identity of the deceased 12-year-old as Chetan. He was killed by the big cat when he was playing outside his house near the coffee plantation in Paleri village.

His parents worked as labourers and had gone to work at Poonachcha in Churicadu Nelli under K Badaga Gram Panchayat. The boy died on the spot after the attack. Since the forest officials did not reach the spot on time to conduct an inspection, the family members of the deceased along with the villagers staged a protest with the deceased's mutilated body.

Within 12 hours of this attack, Raju, a 70-year-old man was dragged and killed by the tiger in the same village. The septuagenarian was attacked at 7 am on Monday while he was working in the fields. The forest officials reached the spot and have started an investigation into this.

The forest officials said the same tiger is believed to have killed these two people within 24 hours. Efforts are on to catch the big cat as soon as possible. Fear gripped the villagers following the tiger attacks. Villagers say the tiger which was once preying on their cattle had now started targeting us. "It has attacked two people in our village. We are scared to go out now," they said.