Tiger Attack in Karnataka- M Shankar

18 June 2010 - Hanumantha Nayaka, 50, of Bairambadi village on Calicut Road, paid with his life for “disturbing and provoking” a tigress in a ravine in Karnataka’s Bandipur Tiger Reserve he entered presumably to collect firewood on 13th March 2010.
Deputy Conservator of Forests Dr K Hanumanthappa, Bandipur Tiger Reserve, feels that Hanumantha Nayaka must have veered off the fire track in the core area, four kilometres inside the demarcation line, into a deep ravine to collect bamboo poles. “It is an isolated incident caused perhaps by extreme provocation,” he says.
The tiger's pug marks are clearly visible on the left shoulder of the deceased man. Pic: Karnataka forest department.
“All large carnivores are potential man-eaters. It is best to avoid close contact with wild animals – especially large ones,” adds Dr Y V Jhala, carnivore biologist and senior faculty at the Wildlife Institute of India.
An autopsy conducted by chief physician Dr Jagadeesh and chief medical officer Dr R Srinivas at the Gundlupet General Hospital in Chamrajnagar reveals that “Nayaka died of internal hemorrhage, shock and trauma; not heart attack”. The forest officials say that the big puncture marks on the throat indicate instant strangulation. The tigress tore off the right forearm, dislocated his wrist, right elbow, shoulder and collar bones; 5th to 10th rib bones on the right were missing, as was the right lung. Stomach entrails gouged out. The large intestine and the small intestine were pulled out. The entire pelvic cavity dislocated; penis, and buttocks eaten. The right thigh was eaten with the bone still clinging to the torso. “All carnivores consume soft tissues first. Humans form a part of their diet,” says Jhala.
Unanswered questions
1. Why did Hanumantha Nayaka venture so deep into the core area of the tiger reserve – a good 4 kms inside the tiger reserve’s demarcation line (D Line) if he only wanted to collect firewood? 
2. Was he alone? If yes, how could the villagers...