A boy was killed and his grandfather, a plantation worker, seriously injured in a tiger attack at Belluru village in Ponnampet taluk of Kodagu district.
The victim was identified as Rangaswamy, 8, while his grandfather, Kencha, a plantation worker, has been hospitalised.
The team has tracked the animal to a sacred grove or devara kaadu.
Details:
This incident is the third human death due to a tiger attack in Kodagu in the last three weeks and has resulted in widespread anger against the authorities for their failure to curb human-animal conflict.
The area is also known to constantly witness human-elephant conflicts. The local community has complained that at least 16 animals — mainly cattle — have been killed by the tiger on the prowl.
Meanwhile, the State government has issued permission to shoot and put down the tiger if efforts to tranquilise and shift it fail.
Devara Kadu:
Devara Kadu, or sacred groves, are a binding force between families and different communities.
It is a small forest-like grove marked as the abode of the local deities.
The network of sacred groves have an important ecological function - preserving the flow of water in the Kaveri river, and conserving the ecosystem services on the plateau.