A tragic incident in the forests of Chandrapur has once again highlighted the severe human-wildlife conflict plaguing the district. A 63-year-old labourer from Madhya Pradesh was fatally attacked by a leopard on Thursday morning while working inside the Moharli (Buffer) forest range.
Details of the Fatal Attack
The victim has been identified as Sahju Chamru Biltheriya, a resident of Partala village in Mandla district, Madhya Pradesh. The attack occurred around 8:30 am in compartment number 181, near Adegaon village, under the Padmapur beat of the Moharli range.
Biltheriya was part of a team engaged in bamboo-cutting operations for the forest department when the leopard struck. He, along with other labourers from Madhya Pradesh, had been employed by the department for this work.
District's Alarming Wildlife Death Toll
This killing marks a grim milestone for Chandrapur district. With this incident, the district has now recorded 45 human fatalities linked to wildlife attacks in the current year alone. This staggering figure places Chandrapur among the worst-affected regions in the country for human-animal conflict.
The breakdown of these attacks is particularly concerning:
- 40 deaths were caused by tigers.
- 3 deaths, including this latest one, were caused by leopards.
- One death each was caused by a bear and an elephant.
Official Response and Investigation
Forest department and police personnel rushed to the spot immediately after the incident was reported. Santosh Thipe, the Range Forest Officer of Moharli (Buffer), and Sandip Ekade, Police Inspector of Durgapur police station, conducted a joint spot inspection and inquest with their teams.
The victim's body was subsequently shifted to the Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) in Chandrapur for a postmortem examination. As an immediate relief measure, the forest department provided ₹50,000 as ex gratia assistance to the grieving family at the site itself.
In response to the threat, officials stated that camera traps have been installed in and around the area. These traps aim to monitor leopard movement patterns and assess the ongoing risk to forest workers and residents of nearby villages. A further investigation into the circumstances of the attack is currently underway.
