Animal attacks claimed 53 lives in K’taka in 2025-26; most cases in Kodagu

Mysuru: Animal attacks, including tigers and elephants, have claimed 53 lives in Karnataka during the previous fiscal year, with the southern districts emerging as the worst-affected region.Official figures show that Mysuru, Chamarajanagar and Kodagu together accounted for 30 of the total deaths, highlighting the severity of the problem in these areas. Among them, Kodagu reported the highest number of fatalities at 12, making it the most affected district in the state.Chamarajanagar and Mysuru recorded nine deaths each. The data points to a worrying pattern of increasing human-animal conflict in forest-fringe and rural zones, where encounters with wild animals often turn fatal. The concentration of deaths in the southern belt has raised concerns over wildlife movement, habitat pressure and the safety of residents living near forest boundaries.While replying to a query by MLA Harish Punja, forest minister Eshwar B Khandre said that 53 have lost lives in animal attacks across Karnataka in 2025-26.The figures underline the need for stronger preventive measures, quicker response systems and better coordination between forest officials and local communities to reduce casualties and prevent further loss of life across vulnerable districts. HD Kote MLA Anil Chikkamadu said he has requested to fence the forest borders to prevent human deaths due to an animal attack.In 2025, in a span of three weeks, three humans were killed and one was severely injured in tiger attacks, forcing the forest department to shut tiger safari inside Bandipur and Nagarahole Tiger Reserves.In some cases, injured, old or displaced tigers may attack humans more readily. Elephant attacks are also a major cause of death. Crop-raiding at night creates dangerous situations when villagers try to chase elephants away. Leopard attacks commonly occur near settlements because leopards adapt well to human-dominated landscapes and may hide in sugarcane fields, scrub or rocky edges close to homes.