Mysore, Jan 24: The forest department has suspended combing operations after failing to locate a tiger that was recently spotted in the Mysore airport premises.
With the forest officials calling off the search, fear has gripped villages around the airport. Residents of villages like Marase, Makanahundi, Dadadahalli, Mandakalli and other surrounding areas are staying indoors out of fear, especially at dawn and dusk, they said.
After the tiger was spotted at the airport, we have stopped going to the fields. We have stopped going out in the morning and evening. The entire village is living in fear, said Saraswathi, a resident of Marase village near the airport.
The tiger was first spotted by the Karnataka State Industrial Security Force (KSISF) personnel, who are responsible for airport security, in the first week of January. The tiger was spotted during a routine patrol. While patrolling in a vehicle, KSISF personnel noticed the tiger moving around, and the footage of the tiger moving around was captured on the patrol vehicle’s camera.