Daijiworld Media Network - Madikeri (SP)

Madikeri, Mar 30: A worker of a coffee plantation in Kodagu district died after a tiger attacked him in Rurdruguppe village in Virajpet taluk on Monday March 28 evening.

The deceased was Yeravara Ganesh Puttu (29), a native of Gaddemane in Attoor village in Gonikoppal. Ganesh was harvesting black pepper on Monday evening when a tiger that was inside the plantation pounced on him. As the tiger directly bit his head, Ganesh died on the spot.

Virajpet range forest officer, officials of the rural police station etc visited the spot and scrutinized the area. Hundreds of villagers around the place and farmer leaders rushed to the spot and expressed anger at the forest officials. It is said that when the forest officials tried to shift the body in a hurry, the villagers opposed the move.

The villagers pointed out that a calf belonging to a local had been killed by the tiger ten days back, and because the forest department did not do anything in the matter, a human life has been lost now.

Deputy commissioner, Dr B C Sathsh, said that forest minister, Umesh Katti, who will visit the district on April 8 will hold a meeting on the issue of wildlife-human friction. The villagers stood their ground demanding a permanent solution to the problem of wildlife attacks and avoiding death of innocents.