Tiger mauls woman to death in MP

Bhopal, May 11 (IANS) In another tragic and horrifying incident of human-tiger conflict, a woman lost her life to a tiger attack in Madhya Pradesh's Seoni district.

The incident occurred in the forest near Bichhua village in the Kurai area, within the Rukhad buffer zone of the South General Forest Division on Saturday.

Confirming the report, a senior forest official told IANS, the attack happened early in the morning when the victim ventured into the forest to pluck tendu leaves.

The tiger, estimated to be around four to five years old, struck suddenly and fatally wounded the woman.

"We are working to rescue the animal, but first, we need to determine the reason behind its aggression. Typically, older or injured tigers seek out easy prey and sometimes attack humans out of desperation. However, in this case, the tiger was not old," the officer said.

The victim has been identified as 50-year-old Hemlata Daharwal.

Tendu leaves are used as a wrapper for beedi. Fresh leaves are hand-picked by the tribals in summer. The activity generates additional income for them. The State Government gives the license for the collection and processing of the tendu leaves through a tender every year.

According to police, the animal lunged at her, sinking its claws and teeth into her neck and other parts of her body. She died instantly. The tiger then dragged her remains to few meters into a dense area of the forest.

Witnesses nearby responded quickly - more than 50 villagers swarmed the scene upon hearing the commotion, and loud cries startled the tiger, forcing it to abandon the body and flee.

Upon receiving the distressing news, Forest Department officials and police personnel conducted an inspection, documenting tiger footprints and evidence of the victim's body being dragged.

A "panchnama" was prepared for further investigation.

The bereaved family of Daharwal demanded compensation of Rs 25 lakh for their loss; however, an amount of Rs 8 lakh-25 lakh is given to the family members as per the rule.

As per government regulations, the Forest Department provided an initial relief amount of Rs 8 lakh.

The Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve in Umaria district has witnessed four attacks in April, resulting in multiple fatalities. Among the victims were a man, a woman, and a 12-year-old child.

Another woman remained hospitalised after suffering severe injuries.

--IANS

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