Killer tigress of Bandhavgarh captured, kept under vigil & medical supervision

The tigress, which had recently targeted a child and a woman, had instilled widespread panic and fear among the local community.

"The tigress was captured from Dhamokhar range this morning... she had made two attacks last Saturday and Sunday – one on a boy and a woman. The boy was killed in the attack. Both of them were in the jungle to collect Mahua flowers," Bandhavgarh National Park Field Director Anupam Sahay told IANS.

The tigress was active in two to three villages near the Bandhavgarh National Park, preying on humans, dogs, cattle, etc.

"The tigress will be kept under medical supervision to assess her behaviour and then a decision to place her in the jungle or a rehabilitation centre will be taken accordingly," the Field Director said.

In Saturday's attack, the boy, identified as Vijay Kaul, was killed while the woman, identified as Rita Baiga, 38, was referred to Jabalpur after initial treatment at the Umaria district hospital. The tigress had previously attacked another woman and a man as well.

Before the tiger's capture, team leader Arpit Maidhal tracked the animal’s movements. Present during the operation were the Deputy Director of Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve, the Assistant Director of Dhamokhar and Tala, the Wildlife Health Officer, Rangers of Dhamokhar and Patour, and members of the rescue team and field staff.

Sahay said that the tigress had been active in the area for an extended period.

Meanwhile, a 65-year-old woman was mauled to death by a sub-adult tiger in Panna Tiger Reserve in the state on Monday. The incident occurred in the Hinota area of the Reserve, barely one kilometre from one of the main entrances of the national park.

Tiger-human conflict is not new in buffer areas of national parks in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. Normally, tigers attack during early morning hours when local people gather Mahua flowers in the jungle. Mahua flower collection, a crucial source of livelihood for tribal families, has made villagers increasingly susceptible to tiger attacks.