Meera Bhardwaj:
Since last October, Karnataka has seen a demonic rise in capture of tigers, leopards and elephants with human-wildlife conflict going out of control. It is not just tigers and their cubs but even capture of leopards and elephants have become pretty common. Apart from this, incidents of tiger deaths in revenge killings, snares & poisoning, elephant electrocution, and leopard road kills are hitting headlines now and again.
Bandipur, Nagarhole and BRT Tiger Reserves have seen the maximum number of human-wildlife conflicts with 28 incidents reported till date. October-November, 2025 were the worst months for tiger conservation as 11 tiger cubs were captured in Bandipur, BRT & Nagarhole tiger reserve areas.
As per data available, if 26 tiger and tiger cubs were captured, 12 tigers died during Oct-Feb 2026 due to poisoning, snaring and death of cubs in captivity.
- Six leopards died due to road kills & poisoning
- Seven elephants died due to electrocution and drowning.
- Three gaurs died due to electrocution and accidents.
- 14 people died and 4 were hurt due to tiger, elephant and leopard attacks.
TOTAL DEATHS/CAPTURES
(Oct 2025 to Feb 20, 2026)
TIGER DEATHS = 12
TIGER CAPTURES = 26
LEOPARD DEATHS = 6
LEOPARD CAPTURES = 4
INDIAN GAUR DEATHS = 3
ELEPHANT DEATHS = 7
ELEPHANT CAPTURES = 2
HUMAN DEATHS = 14
HUMAN INJURIES = 4
RISING CONFLICTS IN KARNATAKA
The continuing and rising incidents of tiger, leopard and elephant captures or human deaths in conflict areas is highly disturbing, says a well-known conservationist. “The rate at which tiger, tiger cubs & leopards are being captured (many have died) – it looks as if there will more numbers in captivity rather than in the wild. If this continues, a day will come when Bandipur, Nagarhole and BRT tiger reserves will have to be closed down.”
Getting the real data about how many tigers, tiger cubs, leopards as also elephants have been captured and how many have died in the five months is not so easy unless one keeps track about such incidents. Green Minute News has kept its own record about tiger, elephant and leopard deaths; tiger, leopard & elephant captures and human deaths in the affected regions of south interior Karnataka. We have no idea of how many incidents have been ignored or buried!
The protected areas of Bandipur, Nagarhole, BRT tiger reserves and MM Hills Sanctuary which fall in the Chamarajanagar, Mysuru, and Kodagu districts are the most affected parts compared to Malnad, coastal and central districts which have two tiger reserves – Bhadra and Kali and a few sanctuaries.
CONFLICT INCIDENTS IN OCTOBER, 2025
Oct 2, 2025: A prime male tiger was hacked to death and its three parts were found at Hanur beat, Hanur Range in MM Hills Sanctuary.
Oct 4, 2025: A tusker was found dead due to electrocution near Channapatna taluk, Ramanagara district.
Oct 10, 2025: Two male tiger cubs were captured in Saragur taluk of Mysuru district.
Oct 13, 2025: Three tiger cubs were captured near Punajanur-Bedaguli Road inside the BRT after straying from the tiger reserve.
Oct 16, 2025: A dead tiger was found as it was caught in a deadly Snare in a coffee estate at Srimangala, Kodagu district.
Oct 16, 2025: Madegowda, a farmer was injured by a tigress in Badgalapura when he repeatedly pelted stones on the mother with three cubs.
Oct 26, 2025: 54-year-old Rajshekar was killed in a tiger attack at Bennegere village, Mulluru, Nugu Range, Bandipur tiger reserve.
Oct 28, 2025: A mother tigress was captured in the Hediyala sub-division limits near Mullurgudda village of Nugu Range, Bandipur tiger reserve.
Oct 29, 2025: Two out of three tiger cubs captured in BRT tiger reserve died in Koorghalli rescue centre after being separated from their mother.
Oct 31, 2025: 65-year-old farmer Doddaningaiah died in Saragur taluk, Mysuru district in a tiger attack near Moliyuru Range, Bandipur tiger reserve.
Oct 31, 2025: Two farmers – Umesh and Harish died in elephant attack in Keremane enclosure, Kerekatte Range, Kudremukh National Park.
CONFLICT INCIDENTS IN NOVEMBER 2025:
Nov 2, 2025: Two elephants were electrocuted at Sulegali village, Khanpur taluk, Belagavi district when a farmer had electrified the fence around the fields.
Nov 5, 2025: One and a half year old tiger cub was captured at Hosavindu, Hediyala range of Bandipur tiger reserve. This is the third cub out of the three tiger cubs of the tigress captured on Oct 28.
Nov 7, 2025: 35-year-old Chowda Nayaka dead in a tiger attack at Hale Hegudilla village, Saragur taluk, near Moliyur Range of Bandipur Tiger Reserve.
Nov 9, 2025: A 12-13-years-old male tiger was captured in Moleyur Range of Bandipur tiger reserve. This tiger which killed a farmer had sustained injuries in a snaring incident.
Nov 9, 2035: Two elephants drowned and died at Harobele reservoir backwaters in Kanakapura taluk, Ramanagara district, falling under Sathnur Forest Range.
Nov 10, 2025: A four-five-years-old tigress was captured near Kallahalli in the Gundlupet buffer area, Bandipur TR.
Nov 11, 2025: Three tiger cubs, about two months old were later captured very near the area where the mother tiger was captured in Gundlupet buffer area, Bandipur TR.
Nov 27, 2025: Four-months-old, four tiger cubs were captured at Gowdankatte village, Hunsur taluk, Nagarhole tiger reserve.
CONFLICT INCIDENTS IN DECEMBER, 2025
Dec 1, 2025: The first of the four tiger cubs that was captured in Hunsur taluk, Nagarhole, succumbed to disease and separation from its mother at Koorghalli centre.
Dec 5, 2025: The second of the four tiger cubs also died at Koorghalli after its capture in Hunsur taluk, Nagarhole forests.
Dec 7, 2025: The third tiger cub out of the four captured ones too died at Koorghalli rescue centre in Mysuru.
Dec 9, 2025: The fourth tiger cub out of the four captured at Gowdankatte village also died in the Koorghalli rescue centre.
Dec 9, 2025: Mallappa, a farmer was injured near Kundakere village, Bandipur TR, Chamarajanagar district.
Dec 14, 2025: 48-year-old farmer Puttamadegowda died in an elephant attack at Dummasandra village in Harohalli taluk, Ramanagara district.
Dec 16, 2025: An 8-year-old tiger was found dead – caught in a deadly snare trap in Kecchattira coffee estate, Srimangala-Chettihalli area, Kodagu district, near Nagarhole TR.
Dec 18, 2025: Indian Gaur’s death due to electrocution near Koduru Shakavalli village, Hosanagar Range, Sagar Division, Shivamogga district.
Dec 20, 2025: Death of an Indian Gaur which broke its legs in Gavinagudda Estate, Siddapura Range, Sirsi Division, Uttar Kannada district due to fatal injuries.
Dec 25, 2025: The carcass of a 35-year-old tusker was found at Errekate Lake, Purani section, Yelandur Range, in BRT tiger reserve.
Dec 25, 2025: A 4-5-year-old tigress captured through caging at Devanapura, Gundlupet buffer area of Bandipur.
Dec 26, 2025: Sanna Haida, forest staff died in tiger attack at Bandipur Range in Bandipur tiger reserve.
Dec 27, 2025: The body of a dead female leopard with three unborn cubs was found in Kaggalipura Range, Bengaluru Urban division. The cause of death due to impact from mining blast.
Dec 28, 2025: A 10-year-old tigress was captured in a cage at Mettikuppe Range, Antarsanthe sub-division, Nagarhole tiger reserve.
Dec 31, 2025: Six-year-old male tiger was captured near Anemadu Lake, in Kalpura region of Chamarajanagar district.
CONFLICT INCIDENTS IN JANUARY 2026
Jan 5, 2026: A leopard was captured at Hosabenekal, Gangavathi Range, Koppal district but was later released in the wild.
Jan 6, 2026: Seven-year-old male tiger was captured this time in a leopard cage at Hemmige village, near Hanagodu, Hunsur, Mysuru (Bandipur).
Jan 7, 2026: 9-10-year-old tiger was found dead at Hebbe Forest range in Bhadra Tiger Reserve, preliminary investigation says territorial fight.
Jan 9, 2026: One more adult tiger was captured using a leopard cage kept in a banana garden at Nanjadevanpura, Chamarajanagar district.
Jan 10, 2026: A one-year-old male leopard was found dead in a road kill at Kesarmadu, Tumakuru district.
Jan 10, 2026: The carcass of a 5-year-old leopard found in Yediyur village, Hosanagara taluk, Shivamogga district.
Jan 13, 2026: 42-year-old Shoba, a plantation worker was found dead as she was trampled in an elephant attack near Sakleshpur, Hassan district.
Jan 15, 2026: A 6-year-old male leopard was found dead due to poisoning at Homme village, in Yelandur Range, BRT tiger reserve.
Jan 16, 2026: Doreswamy, a farmer hailing from Alluru Homme village was arrested for poisoning the above leopard.
Jan 16, 2026: 10-month-old Tiger Cub captured at Nanjadevanpura, Harve hobli, Chamarajanagar (this is one of the cubs of a tigress captured which had four cubs).
Jan 17, 2026: 25-year-old tusker captured in Bellavara village in Belur taluk, Hassan district which had reportedly killed a woman.
Jan 18, 2026: One more 10-month-old Tiger Cubcaptured near Nanjadevanpura, Harve hobli, Chamarajanagar (the second cub out of the four cubs).
Jan 19, 2026: Another leopard found dead in a road kill in Kanakapura Bypass, Bengaluru Urban district.
Jan 20, 2026: An Indian Gaur’s decomposed body found in an open well at Agumbe village, Tirthahalli taluk, Shivamogga district.
Jan 21, 2026: Five-year-old female leopard found dead in a road kill on NH-50 in Mariyamnahalli village, Ballari district.
Jan 21, 2026: 35-year-old, Praveen found dead reportedly in a leopard attack while taking pictures in Rangaswamy oddu, Talabetta, MM Hills Sanctuary.
Jan 22, 2026: Somla Naik was hurt in a bear attack in Shikaripura taluk, Bhadravathi division, Shivamogga district.
Jan 22, 2026: A five-year-old Leopard was captured near Rangaswamy Vaddu, at the foothills of MM Hills Sanctuary, Chamarajanagar district.
Jan 26, 2026: A leopard was captured and caged in Hubballi airport, Gamanakatti-Suttagatti, in Hubballi district. The leopard was found in the city, after a month long operation, it was captured.
Jan 26, 2026: A sloth bear was injured as it was tortured and troubled by people in Kyasankere village, Kudligi taluk, Vijayanagara district.
Jan 26, 2026: A leopard was captured in Nanda village that had been roaming around in Belthangady taluk, Dakshin Kannada district.
Jan 27, 2026: One more 10-month-old Tiger Cub (the third one out of the four tiger cubs) captured in Nanjadevanpura village, Harve hobli, Chamarajanagar, BRT tiger reserve.
Jan 29, 2026: 72-year-old Abdul Latif, a watchman was trampled by a wild elephant in a coffee estate at Madikeri-Badda-Banangala village, Siddapura, Kodagu district.
Jan 30, 2026: 42-year-old Rajashekarappa was injured in a leopard attack at Bomanahalli village, Gundlupet, Chamarajanagar district.
CONFLICT INCIDENTS IN FEBRUARY, 2026
Feb 5, 2026: Maada, 70-year-old person found dead in elephant attack in Saragur taluk, Mysuru district near Hediyala Range, Bandipur Tiger Reserve.
Feb 7, 2026: A 15-year-old elephant was found dead due to electrocution in Doddaharave village, Periyapatna, Nagarhole tiger reserve, Kodagu district.
Feb 7, 2026: Venkatesh, 58-year-old person found dead at Gaddigrama, Byalkere, Anekal taluk, Bengaluru urban district due to elephant attack.
Feb 11, 2026: A 6-year-old tiger, involved in cattle killings was captured at Besaguru village, Ponnampet taluk in Kodagu district & shifted to BBP.
Feb 12, 2026: A wild elephant was captured in Saragur that too shockingly inside Bandipur Tiger Reserve.
Feb 15, 2026: A prime, male tiger was found dead due to snaring in Gundal dam waters, Kollegal Wildlife Range, BRT Tiger Reserve.
Feb 16, 2026: 45-year-old Yallappa, a farm worker found dead at Pura village, Chikkamagaluru taluk in Chikkamagaluru district due to wild elephant attack.
Feb 17, 2025: 68-year-old farmer Gurumallappa died in T. Narsipura, Mysuru district in an attack by a wild elephant.
TIGER CONSERVATION – A TOUGH TASK
Karnataka Forest Department (KFD) is staring at a deep abyss on the issue of tiger conservation and at the same time, are completely helpless in controlling the conflict of tigers and leopards with people – living cheek and jowl around the tiger reserves and sanctuaries of south interior districts of Karnataka. Now, the opening of tiger safaris in Bandipur and Nagarhole tiger reserves which had been closed since November 7, 2025, is fraught with danger as farmers and their associations are opposing tooth and nail the resumption of tiger safaris.
Further, the Karnataka Forest Department (KFD) is bogged down by the annual visit of pilgrims and devotees to temples which are located inside the tiger reserves and sanctuaries. Unruly crowds have caused huge disturbances to wildlife especially leopards. For any incident of human death on the periphery of the tiger’s home range and habitat, the leopard, elephant or the tiger have to pay the price while the KFD is blamed every time.
Even as the National Tiger Estimation, 2026 is going on in the state, the Karnataka Forest Department is forced to bow down to the diktats of the political representatives and the extreme pressure from the people to capture tigers and leopards, says a wildlife conservationist. This is especially true about Chamarajanagar district which is home to so many PA. Even as conflict continues unabated, developmental projects rules the roost and diversion of forest lands is cleared by both the state and the central governments, thereby, reducing the wildlife habitat.