The tiger killed a farmer in Beed in its first fatal human attack
Known as Avenger, the male tiger has travelled nearly 500km across six districts since leaving its birthplace in 2023, making it one of the most elusive dispersing tigers recorded in Maharashtra. Born in Tipeshwar Wildlife Sanctuary in Yavatmal district in 2022, Avenger left his natal territory in May 2023 and moved through Yavatmal, Dharashiv, Latur, Solapur, Ahilyanagar and Beed. He was first recorded in Dharashiv in Dec 2024, in Yedshi Ramling Wildlife Sanctuary and the Barshi forest range. Within weeks, he had killed 16 livestock animals and a wild boar, but had not attacked any human. Concerned about his presence in a human-dominated landscape, the forest head office in Nagpur ordered his capture on Jan 10, 2025, under Section 11(1)(C) of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. Drones, thermal drones and more than 30 camera traps were used to track him. On Feb 9, 2025, a dart penetrated his body but did not immobilise him. A second dart, fired on Feb 26, left him semi-conscious. The operation was called off on April 5, 2025, after the team found no pugmarks or livestock kills and recorded no camera-trap images. Avenger was next tracked in Karjat taluka of Ahilyanagar district in Feb 2026. On Aug 20, a camera trap in Brahmgaon forest range in Ashti captured him near a carcass. He added that a suspected death in an attack by Avenger in Ashti on Oct 12, 2025, could not be confirmed. On Saturday morning, Avenger attacked 38-year-old Devidas Takale from behind while he was cutting fodder on Sonipathar Hill and dragged him about 500 metres into thorny bushes.
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“The formulation of the dart might have been inadequate,” Range forest officer Amol Munde said. Forest officials said Avenger was not a man-eater and had largely survived on livestock. “The tiger has made over 200 cattle kills so far, and his behaviour has been that of a dispersing tiger surviving on livestock in a human-dominated landscape,” Munde said.
He travelled largely through scrubland, ravines and agricultural fields near water streams. The plan was to tranquilise him, fit a radio collar, conduct a health check-up and relocate him to Sahyadri Tiger Reserve, which would have become the first reserve in Maharashtra to receive a relocated tiger. A specialised team comprising the Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve rapid response team, forest officials from Dharashiv and Solapur, and Pune-based RESQ Charitable Trust was deployed. The team managed to dart Avenger twice, but failed to capture him. However, he crawled away as rescue teams approached, recovered and disappeared into a ravine. He weighed more than 200kg. He subsequently moved towards Kari near Barshi in Solapur before returning to the Balaghat range in Patoda taluka, where he began establishing his territory. The forest department will seek fresh permission from its head office in Nagpur to resume the rescue operation. Two teams of forest staff from Ashti and Patoda have been formed to inform residents about precautions in areas frequented by the tiger. Download the TOI App.
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: The tiger that killed a farmer in Ashti taluka of Beed district on Saturday had twice survived attempts to tranquilise it, forest officials said.