In sixteenth such case, woman dies after suspected tiger attack in Maharashtra's Chandrapur

Mumbai: A forest officer deployed in Maharashtra's Chandrapur district told media outlets that a 65-year-old woman has died as the result of a suspected tiger attack in the region. The incident took place around noon in Chichpalli range under the Forest Development Corporation of Maharashtra (FDCM), added the officer.

A resident of Jambarla village which is a little over 20km from Chandrapur district headquarters, Shantabai Sonurle had gone to a nearby forest to collect firewood along with other women from her village. She was attacked by a wild animal, suspected to be a tiger. However, forest officials are yet to confirm that the predator which attacked the victim was a big cat since the woman accompanying her at the time of the attack fled the spot.

(Kolsa, a small hamlet inside the Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve in Chandrapur district) [Picture Courtesy: BCCL]

They alerted local forest rangers who rushed to the spot only to discover Sonurle lying lifeless. Officials with the FDCM then transported the woman's body to a local general hospital for post-mortem after conducting a 'panchnama'. Divisional Manager of the West Chanda Division, FDCM, Sunil Atram told news agency PTI that the woman most likely died on the spot of the attack. He added that the pugmarks of a big cat were discovered by rangers during an inspection following the attack. An initial compensation of Rs 25,000 has also been sanctioned for the family of the deceased, said Atram adding that the remaining compensation will be given to her family after the completion of the forest department's probe.

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Chandrapur district in Maharashtra's Vidarbha region is home to Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve which is the state's largest national park. In June of this year, a tiger mauled a 53-year-old forest labourer to death in Brahmapuri forest in Chandrapur district. Ashok Janglu Chaudhary was returning home to Gunjewahi village on June 14 when he is likely to have been attacked by a big cat. Locals found his body along the tracks and alerted rangers. Deputy conservator of forest, Kulraj Singh claimed that a preliminary probe has led the department to believe that Ashok's death was the result of a tiger attack. Singh had also told media outlets at the time that locals had been advised not to venture into forest alone and always move in groups.

Also Read: Forest ranger survives after attack by big cat at Karnataka's Bandipur Tiger Reserve

According to a report by Indian Express, fifteen such attacks have been reported from the Chandrapur district as a whole, prior to the most recent one. While eleven such attacks have come to light from Brahmapuri division in recent months, four fatal attacks were brought to the attention of the forest department in the month of June alone.