BENGALURU: Avni, a man-eating tiger has been a cause of concern with the Maharashtra government and environmentalists for the last few months. Even as the hunt for the feline is underway, activists in Bengaluru have been protesting against the tigress’ killing in front of town hall, to raise awareness on the issue.
Around 50 people were seen attending the protest and Shruthi V Nithin, owner of pet service organisation FLOAP (For Love Of All Pets), said that it’s important for people from different states to voice their opinion on the issue. Voicing her stance on the issue, she said, “In the name of development, we take up so much of the animal’s space. It is only natural for animals to want to guard their territory. I believe animals react only if provoked.”
Prerana Chakraborty, animal activist said that they were aware of the #letAvnilive trend and believe that the tiger is being wrongly labelled as a ‘man-eater’. “There is no proof that the tiger has eaten 13 people. Also, the animal had not left the forest, so it is the man’s fault for entering their territory,” she said. “Avni, also called T1 along with her two nine-month-old cubs and her male partner, T2, are now under the radar,” Prerana added.
The protest was planned two days in advance, where the activists had created an event on social media requesting people to come forward. Shruthi explains that the protest was not just about one tiger but that no animal should be treated badly. “This was our biggest protest so far and is a start to a much bigger campaign in the future,” she said.
Four cities across the country have hosted a protest on the issue, the cities include Bengaluru, Pune, Hyderabad, and Delhi.