A 29-year-old forest fire safety worker was killed after a tiger allegedly attacked a patrol team inside the Kanha Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh's Mandla district on Sunday morning, officials said.
Second Tiger Attack in Days
The incident comes just a couple of days after a 55-year-old woman was killed in a suspected tiger attack in the Panpatha core zone of the Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve in Umaria district, highlighting the recurring risks posed by human-wildlife encounters in the state's protected forests.
Details of the Attack
According to officials, the patrol team was carrying out routine morning rounds in the Ghanghar Nala area near a camp in compartment number 136 of the Nakti Ghati beat under the Kanha range when the attack occurred. Lakhan Singh briefly fell behind the group while moving through dense forest terrain. Moments later, a tiger allegedly emerged and attacked him, leaving little time for his colleagues to intervene.
The victim, identified as Lakhan Singh, son of Budh Singh and a resident of Aamgahan village in Balaghat district, died on the spot.
Response and Compensation
Forest officials rushed to the site after receiving information about the incident and informed the deceased's family. The body was sent for postmortem examination, while legal formalities are underway. Authorities said immediate financial assistance has been provided to the bereaved family, with the remaining compensation to be released as per government norms.
Expressing grief over the loss, Kanha Tiger Reserve management said Lakhan Singh died while performing intensive patrolling duties in a challenging forest landscape inhabited by dangerous wild animals.
The entire Kanha management is deeply saddened by the loss, officials said.
