BIG CAT HORROR: Tiger mauls to death man, 75, and his teen grandson hours apart after 'escaping' from nature reserve
INDIA: A man-eating tiger has killed two people in 24 hours after "escaping" from the Nagarahole Tiger Reserve in India. Chetan, 18, and his grandfather, 75, were both fatally mauled by the tiger.
Chetan was attacked by the tiger on Sunday, February 12, while harvesting coffee at a plantation three kilometers from the Nagarahole Tiger Reserve, The Sun reported. On Monday, February 13, his grandfather died in a field near his home in Palleri village in Kodagu district; the body was reportedly found 650 feet from where his grandson Chetan's remains were located. The tiger is believed to live in the reserve, which covers 316 square miles between Kodagu and Mysuru districts. There are about 125 tigers there, making it one of the largest tiger populations in the country.
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Officials hunt for predator
The Nagarhole Tiger Reserve's director, Harsha Chikka Naragund, stated, "The state forest department wildlife warden issued orders to catch the tiger. More than 250 forest personnel and officers launched a huge combing operation since Monday morning," according to Hindustan Times.
"The tiger might be aged and unable to hunt hence killing humans. We have installed 30 trap cameras in various places, placed three cages, using five elephants in operation and would catch the man-eater soon," Naragund concluded.
The Big Cat Public Safety Act
The US Senate has already passed legislation to prevent tigers in captivity from falling victim to this practice, as the illegal trade in their parts and goods poses the greatest threat to big cats in the wild, according to WWF. On December 21, 2022, President Joe Biden signed the Big Cat Public Safety Act into law.
Leigh Henry, head of wildlife policy at World Wildlife Fund (WWF) said, "With the passage of the Big Cat Public Safety Act, Congress has sent a global message that the US stands firmly against wildlife crime and on the side of tiger conservation."
WWF reports that the Big Cat Public Safety Act will help ensure the welfare of captive big cats and public safety by requiring facilities to obtain a state permit to possess big cats. As a result of these measures, more details will be available about who owns them, when they are sold or traded, and what happens to their parts after they die.