Chandrapur: A 60-year-old woman was mauled to death by a tiger while she was working on her farm adjoining a reserve forest in Moharli forest range in the buffer zone of Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve on Monday afternoon. Chandrapur district has reported 32 deaths in wildlife attacks this year so fa r.
She was working in her field adjoining compartment No 187 of the reserve forest in the Agarzhari-II beat when the tiger attacked her around 2:30 pm. The victim, Mandabai Suryabhan Mangam, was a resident of Agarzhari. Forest officials led by Moharli range forest officer Santosh Thipe, along with police personnel from Durgapur police station, reached the spot. A police inquest and spot panchnama were conducted and the body was shifted to the district hospital in Chandrapur for autopsy.
Forest Department handed over compensation of Rs50,000 to the victim’s husband, Suryabhan Laxman Mangam. Camera traps have been installed in the area to identify the tiger, while forest officials have launched an awareness drive urging villagers to exercise caution while entering or working near forest fringes.