A staff member of an anti-poaching camp was killed in a tiger attack at the Bandipur Tiger Reserve on December 27.
The deceased has been identified as Sanna Haida, who was attached to the Maralahalla anti-poaching camp in the Bandipur division and was engaged in regular patrolling duty in the tiger reserve.
S. Prabhakaran, director, Bandipur Tiger Reserve, said Haida was accompanied by three others while gathering grass seeds when the tiger pounced from the thickets and injured him. This happened at around 12.30 p.m.
Though all the anti-poaching camp staff were armed, there was hardly any response time as the attack was sudden and swift.
Haida suffered severe injuries and died on the spot. Originally from Hunsur, he had moved with his family to Bandipur after being deployed for patrolling duty to protect the wildlife and forest.
Forest officials rushed to the location soon after receiving information about the incident and shifted the body for postmortem examination, which was conducted as per procedure.
Though the incident cannot be described as a “human-wildlife conflict” as the tiger attack took place deep within the jungle, senior officials said it was a tragic and an unfortunate encounter that underscored the inherent risks and dangers faced by frontline forest staff who work in remote, wildlife-rich areas, often under challenging conditions, to protect the forests and wildlife.
Authorities said compensation will be paid to the deceased’s family members as per government norms. Conservationists called for reviewing the existing precautionary measures provided to the patrolling staff in sensitive zones, particularly in tiger reserves.
Bandipur Tiger Reserve is one of India’s premier wildlife habitats, with a tiger population of 154 as per the 2024 Phase IV population estimation exercise, which was carried out between November 2023 and February 2024. But Forest Minister Eshwar B. Khandre, in reply to a question in the Assembly, rounded off the figure to nearly 200.
Despite the high density of wildlife in the Bandipur-Nagarahole belt, it is rare for staff on duty to be attacked or killed during patrolling, though such incidents have taken place in the past.
Published – December 27, 2025 06:33 pm IST
