MYSURU: Monday was a bad day for the wildlife as a tiger and leopard were killed in separate road accidents in the district. The big cats were killed after they were hit by speeding cars while they were crossing highways.
In the first incident which took place on the outskirts of Mysuru city, a two-year-old tiger identified as T-6 was killed on Mysuru-Nanjangud highway near Mysuru Airport at Mandakalli.
Around 11 pm on Sunday night, a speeding cab, which was travelling from Mysuru towards Nanjangud, hit the tiger which suddenly jumped onto the road to cross the highway towards the airport. Even though the cab driver made an effort to avoid hitting the tiger which jumped onto the highway, he failed.
The driver after stopping the vehicle, which was badly damaged at the front, on the roadside managed to escape from the place. As the airbags of the car were deployed, the driver is believed to be unhurt in the accident. The cab belongs to Susheela from Chamarajanagar as per the registration.
Foresters seized the vehicle and a case under the Wildlife Protection Act had been registered against the driver. Meanwhile, the tiger, which was badly wounded on its head which had fallen into the roadside trench, withered around in pain before succumbing to injuries. The foresters, who rushed to the spot, lifted the dead tiger and shifted it to the Chamundi Animal Conservation, Rescue and Rehabilitation Centre in Koorgalli and conducted a postmortem.
Chief Conservator of Forests (CCF) Malathi Priya and ACF N Lakshmikanth were present. Foresters claim that the tiger which was killed was one of the four cubs which were sighted with their mother in Nanjangud a few months ago. The foresters had launched a combing operation after the tigress and cubs were sighted, but could not capture the felines.
“The tiger which was killed near Mysuru Airport was first noticed at Chikkanahalli Block. We have no clue when it has reached near Mysuru Airport. The tigers are surviving by hunting wild boars and peacocks,” he said.
After the roadkill of the tiger, the foresters launched an operation to find any other cub in the area by placing trap cages and installing camera traps. Meanwhile, the foresters also decided to approach airport authorities to check the video footage from high resolution cameras installed at the airport to find the movement of the tiger and the accident which took place on the highway.
Leopard dies in Hunsur
A one-and-half year-old leopardess was killed in Hunsur town in the wee hours of Monday. Foresters said that the leopard was crossing the highway near Ayyappa Swamy Gudda in Hunsur town when an unidentified vehicle suspected to be a car dashed the leopard killing it on the spot. The driver fled from the place without stopping the vehicle after the accident.