Karnataka: Where going to school means encounters with tigers & leopards

In the N.R. Pura taluk of Karnataka, a group of Class 7 students from Marathi Camp faced an unsettling encounter with wildlife while on their way home from school. On a typical afternoon, Lakshmi, Ranjitha, and Pallavi were walking to Byrapura, a distance of approximately 3 km away, when they froze in fear upon spotting a leopard near a dry stream.

The incident heightened the community's anxiety when parents walking to the school the following day saw what they believed to be tiger tracks along the same route. Consequently, all 28 schoolchildren from the village skipped classes for three days, though they eventually resumed attending school.

The village, home to around 44 families, has since been living in constant apprehension. In response to the incident, officials from the N.R. Pura taluk administration established an anganwadi centre in Marathi Camp for 10 children, providing financial assistance of ₹6,000 a year for transportation expenses. However, parents struggle to arrange vehicles for their children due to their daily-wage occupations and the lack of proper roads in the region.

Some villagers have volunteered to use tractors and autorickshaws, while others take children on two-wheelers through muddy forest paths.

The village's proximity to forests and wildlife habitats has raised concerns among residents, who have witnessed leopards, elephants, and wild boars in their area. A leopard even killed sheep tied to a pole outside one resident's home. The anganwadi centre and solar fencing in agricultural fields have provided some relief for the children's safety. Despite these efforts, villagers emphasize the need for improved roads and reliable transportation facilities in their densely forested surroundings.