Talodhi forest Tiger that killed two villagers tranquillised

Chandrapur forest department tranquillised a tiger that killed two villagers, relocating it to Gorewada Rescue Centre amid rising human-animal conflicts.

NAGPUR: The Chandrapur forest department on Friday successfully tranquillised the tiger responsible for the deaths of two villagers in the Talodhi forest area of the Brahmapuri Division. The operation in Gangasagar Heti, under the Talodhi forest range, marked the end of a tense period following public outrage over the recent attacks.

According to a senior forest department official, the tiger had migrated from the Tadoba Tiger Reserve and was responsible for the deaths of two villagers (HT Archives) (Hindustan Times)

The tiger had been under continuous surveillance for several days, said a forest official. They also confirmed that the tiger would be relocated to the Gorewada Rescue Centre in Nagpur for further management.

According to a senior forest department official, the tiger had migrated from the Tadoba Tiger Reserve and was responsible for the deaths of two villagers. Maroti Borkar, 45, who resided in Gangasagar Heti was attacked on April 15 and Maruti Nakatu Shende, 64, who resided in Wadhona, on May 18. Following these fatal incidents, the forest personnel secured authorisation from the senior officers at the state forest department and wildlife wing to launch a carefully coordinated capture operation on Friday evening. “It was executed with precision and caution under the supervision of senior forest officials, with assistance from veterinary expert Dr RS Khobragade,” said Rakesh Sepat, deputy conservator of forests, Brahmapuri Division.

Chandrapur district has emerged as a hotspot for human-animal conflict, Sepat added, with nine villagers losing their lives to tiger attacks in the last fortnight. The ongoing man-animal conflict has instilled fear and frustration among villagers, who accuse the forest department of negligence. Many residents allege that the department ignored their repeated warnings about tiger movements near villages. Agricultural and cattle-grazing activities have come to a near halt in several forest-adjacent regions, they said. The human-wildlife conflict in Chandrapur is intensified by habitat loss, urbanization, and climate change. These issues have led to more frequent encounters between humans and wild animals when they collect minor forest produce like tendu leaves and mahua flowers.

In a separate incident, the carcass of a male leopard, estimated to be around six to seven years old, was found in the Sonegaon forest of neighbouring Bhandara district on Friday. The leopard had visible bite marks on its neck and upper limbs, nail wounds on its shoulders, and a broken collar bone. Initial assessments suggest the leopard may have died in a territorial fight with another leopard.