BENGALURU: A 56-year-old anti-poaching camp forest watcher, Sanna Haidha, was killed in a tiger attack in Bandipur Tiger Reserve on Saturday.
The incident occurred near Maralla camp in Bandipur in Chamarajanagar district. While the forest, environment and ecology department minister Eshwar B Khandre expressed his condolences, higher-ups in the department have sought for a detailed report on the incident.
According to ground staff, the incident occurred around 12.45 am, when Sanna Haidha and his other three colleagues, staying in the anti-poaching camp on duty, headed out for patrolling. The tiger is said to have attacked him from behind and hit his head, killing him instantly. The tiger attacked him while he was on duty collecting grass seeds on Kalankatte safari road.
The staffers recollected hearing tiger roars but were unable to reach the spot to save him. They saw the tiger jump into the wild after the incident.
"It is a sudden incident and has happened inside the forest's core area. Sanna Haidha was known for his tracking and watcher skills. His son is also working as watcher in Bandipur," said Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Wildlife, PC Rai.