Authorities have arrested two men for poisoning a tigress and her four cubs in the Male Mahadeshwara Hills forest region of Karnataka, in what they described as a revenge attack for the killing of a cow. The arrested individuals, identified as Mada (alias Maduraju) and Nagaraju, confessed to lacing the carcass of a dead cow with pesticide to deliberately target the tigress.
According to officials, the tigress had earlier killed a cow named &lsquo;Kenchi&rsquo;, which belonged to Maduraju. Outraged, he joined with Nagaraju to plot retaliation. They entered the forest, found the cow&rsquo;s remains, and poisoned the meat, which the tigress and her cubs later consumed, resulting in their deaths. Maduraju reportedly celebrated the killing.
Maduraju initially fled, sparking a widespread manhunt. He was eventually apprehended in Koppa village. His father, Shivanna, had earlier falsely taken responsibility to shield his son but has now been cleared from the case following the real confession.
In response to public outcry and the gravity of the crime, the state government has appointed Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests Kumar Pushkar to lead the investigation, replacing the previous official. The newly formed investigation team includes senior forest officials, a representative from the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), wildlife veterinarians, and conservationist Sanjay Gubbi.
The incident, which surfaced last Thursday, drew national attention after the carcasses of the tigress and her cubs were discovered in the Hoogyam range of the sanctuary. Investigators confirmed the animals had been poisoned after returning to feed on the laced meat. [Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by the Benefit News editorial team and is published directly from the IANS news feed]

Five Tigers Poisoned in Karnataka, Two Arrested

Revenge killing for cow sparks outrage as tigress and four cubs die in Male Mahadeshwara forest

Five Tigers Poisoned in Karnataka, Two Arrested

Revenge killing for cow sparks outrage as tigress and four cubs die in Male Mahadeshwara forest

June 28, 2025 | 20:42 IST