Mysuru, 20 Dec

After five tigers were seen moving by trap cameras near the Biligiri Ranganatha Swamy Temple (BRT) Wildlife Sanctuary and Chamarajanagar buffer zone limits, panic gripped villagers of Nanjadevanpura and adjoining villages in Gundlupet and Chamarajanagar taluks.

The trap cameras were installed in agricultural fields near the forest areas late Friday, and the footage has since gone viral.

On Thursday, the big cats were caught by trap cameras, killing two cows at Mudgur village in the Gundlupet buffer zone of Bandipur Tiger Reserve.

The big cats also attacked two cows belonging to farmer Siddashetty when they were grazing in the agricultural fields at Bheemanabeedu village in Gundlupet taluk.  

Siddashetty urged the forest department officials to provide compensation.

Villagers in the taluks have urged the forest department to step up their combing operations and prevent human-animal conflict by relocating the tigers to safer forest areas.

Several people have been killed by tigers in the State recently.