Green Minute News:
Once again, a snare set up for wild boars in an agricultural field in Karnataka has caused trauma and untold suffering to an old tigress, however, forest officials rescued it safely.
In a heartrending incident, a female tiger was rescued on Wednesday afternoon at Balele village, south Kodagu adjoining Nagarhole Tiger Reserve when it was accidentally caught in a snare that was set up for catching wild boars. This was in a paddy field behind the Veterinary hospital at Balele. The tiger suffered deep distress and it was howling in pain when it was trapped maybe, on Tuesday night itself till it was tranquillized the next day.
Although the Karnataka forest department has been regularly combing forests and its adjoining areas and removing snares set by poachers and local people, but still tigers, leopards and other wildlife continue to be caught in such contraptions as people hunt wild boars for meat. Although, it is illegal to install snares but people to do so especially in forest boundaries.
With the local people informing the forest department, forest officials along with veterinary experts swung into action and mounted rescue operations. The female tiger was tranquillized by afternoon and later transported to the Chamundi rescue and rehabilitation centre at Koorgalli near Mysuru.
According to forest officials the tigress was old while a thorough examination revealed it had some missing teeth. One of its legs was caught in the snare, however, no other injuries were seen on examination. It had sustained injuries in the mouth while trying to free itself.
Apart from this, local people said the tigress was often seen by farmers in the vicinity of the village and it had also mounted attacks on cattle.
Last year, a tiger cub was strangulated in Ponnampet territorial division in the same district when it was trapped in a snare. In the last few years, snaring has claimed 4-5 tigers in Karnataka while a few others recovered from their injuries.
