Chamarajanagar, (Karnataka) Dec 22 (NationPress) Alarm spread among the inhabitants of Chamarajanagara taluk in Karnataka's Chamarajanagar district when five tigers were seen together near Nanjedevpura village on Monday.

Residents have been advised to remain indoors and avoid gathering in groups as a safety precaution.

In light of the possible danger to public safety, Chamarajanagar tahsildar Girija has enforced prohibitory measures in three villages — Nanjedevpura, Veeranapura, and Udigala — effective from Monday until 6 p.m. on Tuesday.

The tahsildar has urged villagers to assist the authorities in maintaining safety and preventing any unfortunate incidents.

Personnel from the Forest Department have located the tigers, believed to be residing in a stone quarry area near the village. However, officials note that the operation to capture or tranquilize the animals is challenging due to the limited availability of veterinarians, with only two present in the entire district.

Drone surveillance conducted by forest officials revealed pugmarks of a tigress and her cubs at the stone quarry, confirming the presence of all five tigers in the vicinity.

Meanwhile, elephants Eshwara and Lakshmana, from the Dubare elephant camp, have arrived at the scene, and combing operations are underway.

Villagers from Nanjedevpura welcomed the elephant team with special prayers.

Local Congress MLA Puttarangashetty is on-site, closely observing the developments and conducted an inspection with forest officials.

The state government has pledged to send additional trained elephants and skilled veterinarians to support the operation.

Forest officials indicated that the situation is being monitored closely, and further measures will be taken to ensure the safety of both residents and wildlife.

The Chamarajanagar district and the buffer zones of the Bandipur Tiger Reserve (BTR) have recently experienced several tiger-related incidents, including sightings near villages, livestock attacks, and past fatalities, prompting intensified combing operations by forest teams.

Since mid-October, a total of 23 tigers, including adults and cubs, have been rescued in operations around the Bandipur and Nagarahole reserves. These operations include instances where tiger cubs were found wandering near villages or separated from their mothers and have been taken in for rehabilitation.

In a tragic incident that drew national attention, a tigress and her four cubs were poisoned to death by villagers in the Male Mahadeshwara (MM) Hills Wildlife Sanctuary in Chamarajanagar in June of this year.