Tribal man killed in second tiger attack within fortnight in MP's Balaghat

Bhopal, May 16 (IANS) In a tragic incident, another fatal tiger attack has been reported in Madhya Pradesh’s Balaghat district within a span of a fortnight.

Early Friday morning, a 35-year-old man, identified as Anil, son of Anandan Singh Bhalawi, was mauled to death in the Katangi police station area. His severely mutilated body was discovered in the jungle near his native village, Kachhar.

Vijay Dabur, Additional Superintendent of Police, confirmed the attack and told IANS that the tiger had consumed the rear portion of the victim’s body, suggesting he had been dragged deeper into the forest before being killed.

The incident occurred near Sonewani forest, an area known for its tiger population but lacking formal protection as a wildlife sanctuary.

According to preliminary reports from Anil’s family, he had ventured into the forest early in the morning to collect Mahua flowers and “tendu patta” leaves, commonly used in rolling bidis and a source of supplemental income for tribal communities.

The tiger, after the attack, escaped into the dense foliage.

Sonewani, despite its rich biodiversity and fairly good tiger population, remains an unprotected reserve forest, raising concerns over conservation efforts.

This incident follows another attack on May 3, where a 50-year-old tribal farmer, Prakash Pane, was fatally ambushed while working on his farm under the Tirodi police station area.

Enraged villagers have staged protests, accusing forest authorities of ignoring their repeated warnings about tiger sightings over the past two months.

With fears escalating, locals are demanding stricter safety measures to prevent further tragedies in the region.

Later, the tiger was rescued after the incident and relocated to Van Vihar National Park in Bhopal.

In the initial months of the year 2025, at least six cases of tiger-human conflict have been reported. Of them four occurred in Bandhavgarh and two in Balaghat.

A forest official told IANS that tigers frequently stray into human settlements due to a dwindling prey base in the area, often attacking cattle or humans. These big cats roam the Pench-Kanha corridor, occasionally entering buffer zones.

Officials estimate that around 30-35 tigers inhabit the region, with the one responsible for Anil’s death likely being among them.

--IANS

sktr/skp