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Kheri sees sixth kill by big cats in October as tiger mauls villager
The incident comes 10 days after a 38-year-old woman fell prey to a tiger in the Mohammadi range in Lakhimpur Kheri district. Besides, four people have been killed by leopards in the forests of Lakhimpur Kheri in October.
In the sixth human kill by big cats here this month, a tiger mauled a 40-year-old man to death in south Kheri forest division on Saturday, forest officials said.
The incident comes 10 days after a 38-year-old woman fell prey to a tiger in the Mohammadi range in Lakhimpur Kheri district. Besides, four people have been killed by leopards in the forests of the district this month.
On Saturday, Veerpal, a resident of Bakarganj village under the Hyderabad police station limits of Lakhimpur Kheri district, had gone to a sugarcane field near the Aanvla jungles of Mohammadi range to collect fodder for his cattle when he was attacked by the big cat, a forest official said.
Other farmers working in nearby fields rushed to the scene and the tiger escaped through the dense fields. Veerpal was rushed to a community health centre in Gola where he succumbed to his injuries, the official added.
South Kheri divisional forest officer Sanjay Biswal visited the area along with field staff to take stock of the situation.
Assuring all possible help to the deceased’s family, Biswal said combing teams had been deployed to drive the tiger back to the forest.
Biswal said movement of big cats, including tigers and leopards, had been regularly reported from the area. As a result, the villagers have been asked to be alert and vigilant when going to the fields.
He asked the villagers to avoid movement in the evening and at night when carnivores are on the prowl and to work in large groups when necessary.
Earlier, after multiple casualties caused by a leopard, U.P. chief wildlife warden KP Dube, along with local forest officials, had visited the affected areas of south Kheri forest division.
Dube issued instructions to trap or tranquilise the leopard, which was suspected to be too old or feeble to catch its natural prey.
Forest officials engaged Wildlife Institute of India (WTI) experts to capture the errant leopard.
Cages and cameras in large numbers have been set up and images of the elusive leopard have been captured. The leopard has stayed away from the cages.
