Balaghat: In yet another incident of human-animal conflict, a tiger mauled a tribal farmer to death in Madhya Pradesh's Balaghat district on Sunday.
The incident happened in Tirodi area in Khirlanji Silari village. The villagers were left in utter shock as they found out that the man-eater tiger had devoured the lower half of the slain farmer Sukhram Uike's body.
According to the victim's family, 50-year-old Uike had gone to his field on Sunday morning to plough it for the rabi crop. "He took the cattle along and we expected him to return home soon, but when the cattle came back alone, we got worried," a family member said. Villagers began a search and discovered his slippers and towel near the field.
Omprakash Dhurve, a forest guard, explained the chilling scene when villagers reached a nearby sugarcane field. "We found drag marks in the bushes, and then the tiger was seen scratching Sukhram's body," he said.
The villagers raised the alarm, forcing the tiger to flee, but Sukhram had already sustained fatal injuries. "He had deep wounds on his head and neck, and the entire lower part of his body was missing," Dhurve added.
Deputy Ranger Gyaniram Ghotphode said the forest team was aware of a tiger's presence in the area. "A cub attacked a cow's calf two days ago. We were searching for the tiger with drone cameras, but couldn't locate it before this incident," he said.
He also highlighted the safety guidelines issued to villagers. "We advised them to avoid stepping out after dark, not to work alone in fields, and use crackers to ward off animals," he said.
"The forest department is only giving advice but is not prepared to handle such situations," a villager stated. Another added, "The tiger has been roaming here for days. Why wasn't it captured earlier?"
Following the incident, the forest team intensified its search for the tiger to prevent further attacks.
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