Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
A tigress considered responsible for killing four people in Maharashtra’s Amravati and Wardha districts died while being shifted to a wildlife rescue centre after it was tranquillised and captured by a special Forest Department team on Monday, officials said.
The tigress had been terrorising parts of the two districts since mid-August, attacking people and livestock across several talukas. Two of the four human deaths occurred within 24 hours on September 6 and 7, prompting the Forest Department to launch a high-alert search operation.
advertisement
The animal was eventually captured in Chandur Bazar taluka and was being shifted to the Wildlife Rescue Centre in Nagpur when it died. The team accompanying the tigress attempted to revive it but could not save it.
WOMAN DRAGGED FROM TREE AFTER TIGRESS ATTACK
The first of the two latest victims was 18-year-old Urmila Bajirao Ivne, who was attacked while cutting grass in a field in Sonori village.
Urmila was working in the fields on September 6 when the tigress, reportedly hiding nearby, suddenly attacked her. In an attempt to escape, she climbed a nearby orange tree. The tigress followed and attacked her before pulling her down and mauling to death. According to villagers, the animal then dragged her body towards a nearby drain.
The incident triggered anger among local residents, who gathered at the spot and questioned the Forest Department’s handling of the situation. Reports said some villagers later damaged Forest Department vehicles in protest.
FARMER KILLED IN SECOND ATTACK
The tigress subsequently attacked farmer Dinesh Aware, 45, in Shirajgaon Kasba on September 7. His death heightened fear across the surrounding villages, with farmers and agricultural workers becoming reluctant to enter fields. Residents stepped up demands for the immediate capture of the animal.
However, the two latest deaths were not the first attributed to the tigress. According to the Amravati District Information Office, 74-year-old Rambhau Bhoyar of Narsingpur in Wardha was killed on August 17, while 55-year-old Charandas Ikhe of Bhambora in Morshi was killed on August 27.
DRONES USED TO TRACK TIGRESS
Following the attacks on humans and livestock, the Forest Department and police launched an extensive operation to locate and capture the tigress.
The operation was stepped up after two people were killed within 24 hours. According to the District Information Office, teams conducted round-the-clock patrols and used camera traps and thermal drones to track the animal. Public awareness drives were also carried out, while the district administration and police maintained security to prevent any law-and-order situation.
After the tigress was located in Shirajgaon Kasba, a special Forest Department team tranquillised and captured it, rendering the animal unconscious and averting further danger to the area.
POSTMORTEM TO DETERMINE CAUSE OF DEATH
The tigress died while being shifted to the Wildlife Rescue Centre in Nagpur. The team accompanying it tried to revive the big cat but was unsuccessful.
Amravati senior wildlife official Jyoti Banerjee said the tigress had been brought in an unconscious state after being tranquillised and was kept under veterinary supervision.
Officials said the exact cause of death would be established only after the postmortem examination.
VILLAGERS RELIEVED AFTER TIGRESS CAPTURED
The repeated attacks had left residents of Sonori, Shirajgaon Kasba and neighbouring areas deeply concerned, particularly as the tigress had also been attacking livestock.
With the animal captured, villagers were relieved that the immediate threat had been removed. The Forest Department also provided immediate financial assistance to the families of the deceased, according to the Amravati District Information Office.
An X post by wildlife conservationist Gaurav Bhardwaj has separately raised questions about the capture and subsequent death of the tigress, including the timing of treatment after tranquillisation. These claims have not been independently verified.
– Ends
SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
