Bhopal— A tigress blamed for a series of fatal attacks on villagers in the Dhamokhar range of Madhya Pradesh’s Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve was captured on Monday and placed under constant vigil and medical supervision, forest officials confirmed.
The tigress, which recently attacked a woman and a young boy collecting Mahua flowers in the forest, had become a source of widespread fear across two to three villages bordering the reserve in Umaria district.
“She was captured this morning from the Dhamokhar range,” said Anupam Sahay, Field Director of Bandhavgarh National Park. “She attacked a boy and a woman on Saturday and Sunday. The boy died in the attack, and the woman was seriously injured.”
The victim, identified as Vijay Kaul, succumbed to injuries at the scene. The woman, 38-year-old Rita Baiga, was initially treated at Umaria district hospital and later referred to Jabalpur for further care. The tigress had also previously attacked another woman and a man in the region.
According to officials, the tigress had been prowling the buffer zones near human settlements, preying on livestock, dogs, and, increasingly, humans.
Sahay said the animal would be monitored closely by wildlife health officials to assess her condition and behavior. “Based on those observations, a decision will be made on whether she can be released back into the wild or needs to be rehabilitated in a rescue facility,” he said.
The capture operation involved coordinated efforts from multiple departments. Arpit Maidhal, who led the tracking operation, was joined by the Deputy Director of Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve, Assistant Directors of Dhamokhar and Tala ranges, the Wildlife Health Officer, range officers from Dhamokhar and Patour, and other rescue and field staff.
While the Bandhavgarh operation concluded, tragedy struck elsewhere. On the same day, a 65-year-old woman was killed by a sub-adult tiger in Panna Tiger Reserve, also in Madhya Pradesh. The incident occurred in the Hinota area, just a kilometer from one of the park’s main gates.
Tiger-human conflicts remain a growing concern in the buffer zones of national parks in Madhya Pradesh and neighboring Chhattisgarh. These encounters are particularly common during early morning hours when villagers venture into the forest to collect Mahua flowers—an essential part of the tribal economy and a key source of seasonal income. (Source: IANS)
