A day after a 60-year-old farmer was killed in a tiger attack in Kheri's Ramnagar village, a 50-year-old woman was mauled to death by a stray tiger in neighbouring Khalepurva on Monday evening.
Ramdeen, the farmer, was attending to his sugarcane crop when he was attacked. The latest victim, Kokila Devi, was mowing grass when the feline pounced upon her, grabbed her by the throat and dragged her into a sugarcane field. Her partly eaten body was found later.
Forest Officials Investigate
Ankit Singh, the forest range officer, said pug marks found by forest personnel indicate the involvement of a stray tiger. Ramnagar and Khalepurva are 2.5 km apart, so the possibility of the same tiger being involved in both incidents cannot be ruled out.
Measures Taken
UP chief wildlife warden Anuradha Vemuri said she is waiting for a report before allowing the tiger to be tranquilized. Forest teams have placed two cages with baits and installed at least six camera traps to monitor the tiger's movement. Drones are being used for surveillance.
Sixth Fatality in 50 Days
This is the sixth such fatality by big cats reported from Kheri district's north forest division circle in the past 50 days. The earlier four deaths were attributed to leopard attacks.
Keshav Agarwal has been with The Times of India since June 1, 2014, currently posted in Pilibhit. He specializes in reporting on forest and wildlife, environment, water resources, agriculture, and the sugar and ethanol industries.
