Night vision cameras installed to track tiger’s movement in Mysuru rural

Forest Department tracks tiger with night vision cameras in Mysuru district, cautioning villagers against rumors for safety.

The Forest Department personnel have installed night vision cameras to track a tiger that was spotted in a village bordering Varakodu reserve forest in Mysuru district

The tiger was spotted on the road passing through the reserve forest on Moodalahundi Road in the early hours of Saturday, June 29. The sighting was conveyed by the local community to Basavaraj, Deputy Conservator of Forests (Territorial), and other staff who conducted a spot inspection along with members of the Leopard Task Force.

On ascertaining that a tiger was indeed spotted and confirming its presence in the vicinity, the authorities decided to install Night Vision-IR-GSM camera along with camera traps to track the tiger’s movement.

In the meantime, the Forest Department has deployed additional staff in the vicinity and for night patrolling in villages bordering the reserve forest to infuse courage among the local people.

A special squad has also been deployed at the Morarji Desai Residential School at Varakodu for round-the-clock monitoring. Meanwhile, people of the village have been advised to minimise their movement before daybreak and after dusk. Mr. Basavaraj said an information leaflet on the dos and don’ts has also been distributed in the affected villages as a precautionary measure.

People in the villages bordering Varakodu reserve forest have also been cautioned against paying heed to social media posts or rumours which can only stoke further panic.