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

Karnataka's Marathi Camp village in the Chikkamagaluru district faces a unique challenge: getting children to school involves navigating dense forests and encountering wild animals. On July 4, three Class 7 students, Lakshmi, Ranjitha, and Pallavi, walked home from their school in Byrapura, approximately 3 kilometers away. As they neared a dry stream, they encountered a leopard. Though the animal moved on, the experience left the children shaken. The next day, parents traveling to the school noticed what they believed were tiger pug marks along the same path. This led to three consecutive days of school absences among the 28 children from the village. The village, home to around 44 families, has remained on edge ever since. Officials from the N.R. Pura taluk administration responded by establishing an anganwadi center in Marathi Camp for 10 children. Headmaster N. Krishnamurthy explained that previously, even young children under six walked the same route to reach the anganwadi center, which was located within the school premises. Now, these younger students have their own facility nearby. Krishnamurthy and his three colleagues have also advised the children to walk in groups to and from school, emphasizing safety. The school in Byrapura, situated in the Malnad region of Karnataka, lies within the Western Ghats. Shabana Anjum, the Block Education Officer, noted that children from remote areas are entitled to financial assistance of ₹6,000 annually, split into monthly payments of ₹600 for 10 months, to cover transportation costs. She confirmed that the funds for the previous academic year had already been disbursed, and parents were instructed to arrange transportation using the allocated amount. Despite this support, parents face logistical challenges. Bagu Navilappa, a parent and president of the School Development and Monitoring Committee, highlighted that many villagers work as daily wage laborers, making it nearly impossible to afford vehicles like school vans or autorickshaws with the given budget. “There is no proper road to our village. Even ambulances can hardly reach us during emergencies. How can we expect to run vehicles to ferry our children?” he questioned. In response to the initial crisis, some villagers voluntarily lent tractors and autorickshaws to transport children to school for a few days. However, this arrangement did not last, and the children resumed their journey through the forest. A few parents now accompany their children on two-wheelers along the muddy and challenging path through the woods. During a visit to the village, over 20 children were observed walking the same route to school. Some opted for a shorter path through agricultural fields, where landowners have installed solar fencing to protect crops from wild animals such as elephants and wild boars. These farmers have allowed children to use a narrow passage through the fields to save time. Residents like Takamma recall frequent wildlife encounters. She recounted how a leopard once dragged away sheep tied to a pole near Manjunath's house. “Wild animals keep visiting our village. I have seen elephants strolling through our streets,” she said. The situation in Marathi Camp highlights broader issues affecting children in remote parts of the Malnad region. Human settlements and agricultural lands here are bordered by forests and wildlife habitats, creating a delicate balance. The recent incidents have drawn attention to the ongoing struggles faced by rural communities in ensuring safe access to education while coexisting with nature.