Tiger kills man in forests near Bhopal, eats his body parts
“Tiger consumed parts of the man's hips and thighs. Its pugmarks were also spotted nearby,” said the divisional forest officer.
A man was killed and partially consumed by a tiger in the eastern range of Raisen forest division near Bhopal, said an official on Thursday.
The incident took place near Neemkheda village, approximately 35 km from Bhopal city.
According to Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Vijay Kumar, the body of Maniram Jatav (62) was discovered in the forest around 4 pm on Wednesday. He had gone out to collect tendu leaves, reported PTI.
ALSO READ- Villagers in eye of the tiger, politicians miss the point
The official said that the presence of canine marks on the neck indicated that the man was killed by a tiger. Pugmarks of the tiger were also found nearby. "Canine marks on the neck suggested he was killed by a tiger and not a leopard. The animal consumed parts of the man's hips and thighs. Its pugmarks were also spotted nearby," Kumar said.
The DFO added that the tiger likely strayed from the Ratapani Wildlife Sanctuary, home to over 60 tigers. "This is for the first time in recent history that a big cat has mauled a man to death in the forest of Raisen district. The area where the body was found is not a protected area," Kumar said.
ALSO READ- Forest department plans to expand leopard facility at Junnar
The deceased's family were provided compensation of ₹8 lakh. The forest officials have also started patrolling in the region to locate the big cat and have issued warning to villagers against entering the forest.
"We have ramped up patrolling in the region to track the big cat. Villagers have been asked not to venture into the forest," he said.
ALSO READ- 41-year-old labourer from Assam killed by tiger in Kodagu district
In related news, a nine-year-old tiger responsible for the deaths of six people in Chandrapur district, Maharashtra, over the past two months was successfully captured last month.
After a two-month-long operation to capture the elusive big cat, the tiger was finally trapped in the Karva-Ballarpur forest area. According to a senior official, the tiger outsmarted forest officials with its sharp animal instincts but ultimately fell for the bait placed inside a cage.
The tiger had claimed four lives in the Central Chanda division and two in the Chandrapur division during its two-month rampage.
