Kodagu: ‘Wear face masks to ward off tiger attacks’

Madikeri: Honorary Secretary of Environment and Health Foundation Colonel C.P. Muttanna has proposed a novel solution to ward off tiger attacks that has claimed as many as five lives in Kodagu district so far.

Locals in southern Kodagu are in scare over the increasing instances of man-tiger conflicts. In this scenario, Muttanna at a press conference highlighted the technique followed by the residents of the Sunderban region in West Bengal.

Pointing out that tigers usually attack their prey from behind, Muttana said that people can wear face masks on the back of their heads to avoid a conflict situation. He said that the number of deaths due to tiger attacks has reduced considerably in the Sunderban region due to this ploy.

Muttanna said that he has put forth the proposal to the government and the forest department and urged them to take action in this regard.

Speaking further, he said that in most cases the tiger attacks have taken place during early morning hours especially when a person is out to answer nature’s call. Though the district claims to be open defecation-free (ODF), several houses lack toilet facilities. Thus, the government should make suitable plans to construct toilets for such houses.

Stressing on the predator’s eating habit, Muttanna said that the tiger usually eats a portion of its kill after preying on them. The big cats tend to return to the spot to eat at a later time when they are hungry. In this context, he said, that if a cattle has been killed by a tiger, people should not dispose of the carcass immediately as the tiger would then try to make another kill. Rather people should inform forest department officials of any killing who can take necessary action to capture and relocate the tiger.

He also urged the district administration to make suitable transport arrangements for school-going kids in areas facing tiger menace. Tigers are likely to come to hunt wild boars in the fields. Hence, Colonel Muttanna advised not to allow the growth of wild bushes in fields and coffee plantations.