4 women mauled to death by tigers in Chandrapur

Three of the victims were killed by a single tiger while the fourth woman fell prey to another tiger in a different incident in the same district

NAGPUR: In a tragic turn of events, four women lost their lives in two separate tiger attacks in Chandrapur district on Saturday and Sunday. Three of the victims were killed by a single tiger while the fourth woman fell prey to another tiger in a different incident in the same district.

FILE -- A tiger cub in the Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve, near Chandrapur, in the Indian state of Maharashtra, Sept. 6, 2018. A tigress believed to have killed 13 people was shot dead there on Nov. 2, 2018. Days after the tiger was shot dead, a backlash was underway, with politicians and animal rights advocates denouncing the killing and a senior government minister threatening legal action against people involved in the hunt. (Bryan Denton/The New York Times) (NYT)

According to reports, three women were mauled to death and another seriously injured by a tiger in a single attack on Saturday afternoon. The dismembered bodies were discovered in the forest near Mendha-Mal village, located in the Sindewahi Forest Range, approximately 200 km from Nagpur. Wildlife experts believe this is the first documented case in the region where a single tiger has claimed three human lives and injured another in one attack.

According to preliminary reports, a group of women had ventured into the forest to collect tendu leaves when the tiger attacked. Tendu leaf is used for making “beedi.” The deceased are identified as Kanta Budhaji Chaudhary, 65, her daughter-in-law Shubhangi Manoj Chaudhary, 28, and Rekha Shalik Shende, 50, residents of Mendha-Mal village. The fourth woman, Vandana Gajbhiye, who sustained injuries, is currently undergoing treatment at a hospital, stated Jitendra Ramgaonkar, the chief conservator of forests.

The incident came to light when the women didn’t return home by afternoon. Concerned villagers alerted the forest department, prompting a joint search operation by forest officials and locals. The mutilated bodies were later found in Dongargaon, approximately 8 km from Sindewahi town. Forest personnel immediately took custody of the bodies and sent them for post-mortem after completing the inquest formalities.

Forest authorities have deployed camera traps across the area to confirm the identity of the tiger involved. “Once the specific animal is identified, we will formally request permission to tranquillize and capture it,” said a senior forest official.

In another incident, the victim is identified as Vimala Shinde, 65, from Nagla village in Mul tehsil located near the Tadoba Tiger Reserve and near Shindewahi. The woman was killed by another tiger on Sunday morning while she was out collecting tendu leaves.

Both attacks have sparked widespread fear and anger among locals. Villagers staged a protest, demanding immediate action to capture the tigers and prevent further tragedies.

Local MLA and former minister Vijay Wadettiwar described the situation as alarming. “The authorities have ignored repeated demands to relocate dangerous tigers. Someone must be held accountable for these avoidable deaths,” he said.

Chandrapur district, home to the renowned Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve, has long struggled with escalating human-wildlife conflict. Over 130 tigers and several leopards roam in the Tadoda tiger sanctuary. In Maharashtra, more than 225 people have been killed in wild animal attacks over the past three years, with Chandrapur accounting for the majority of tiger-related fatalities.

With this latest incident, the wildlife-related death toll in Chandrapur for 2025 has reached 16. Last year, 29 such deaths were reported. 27 of them were caused by tigers. In 2023, the number stood at 25. Forest officials have since stepped up patrolling and issued advisories cautioning locals against entering forested areas.