A woman was killed and four others, including members of her family, were injured in a series of tiger attacks near the buffer zone of Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve early on Saturday, triggering violent protests by villagers who later allegedly assaulted forest officials and vandalised vehicles. The tiger, which was later rescued, was also reported dead, officials said.
According to a senior wildlife official, the attacks took place between 2.30 am and 3 am near Paljha North beat in the Panpatha buffer range of the reserve. Forest officials said a tiger entered the courtyard of a house in Khaira Tola village, located in the revenue area adjoining the reserve, where members of the Pal family were sleeping in the open.
The tiger allegedly mauled Phool Bai (34), causing fatal injuries. Officials said another family member, Fulla Pal, was also injured in the attack before the animal retreated towards the forest.
However, the situation escalated dramatically at daybreak. Forest officials said the tiger returned from the forest around 6 am and entered the same house again in the presence of villagers and forest personnel. During the second attack, two more villagers, Dasaiya Pal and Gajadhar, son of Lallu, suffered serious injuries.
The incident sparked panic and anger in the village, with local residents accusing forest authorities of failing to prevent repeated tiger intrusions into human settlements around the buffer zone.
After receiving information about the attacks, a team of forest, revenue and police officials rushed to the spot. Those present included Panpatha Sub-Divisional Forest Officer Bhura Gaikwad, Panpatha buffer range officer Prateek Srivastava and Pataur range officer Anju Verma.
Villagers attack officials
According to the forest department, tensions spiralled around 8 am when a crowd of nearly 150-200 villagers allegedly attacked the officials. Prateek Srivastava was seriously injured, suffering wounds to his head, back and hands. He was later taken to the government hospital in Manpur for treatment.
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The department alleged that women in the crowd assaulted Anju Verma and held her hostage for nearly five to six hours. Officials claimed that Gaikwad and other forest personnel were forced to flee the scene to save themselves as law and order deteriorated rapidly.
Forest officials said a rescue operation was simultaneously planned for the tiger, which was believed to be injured. Senior officers, including the field director and deputy director of Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve and wildlife veterinarians, reached the Panpatha buffer office by around 8 am.
By then, according to the department, a crowd of nearly 300 to 400 people had gathered at the site.
A wildlife veterinary team later examined the tiger and reported that it showed no visible movement. Officials said darting was necessary to confirm the animal’s condition. Even after being darted, the tiger reportedly showed no response, indicating it may “already have been dead.”
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As officials attempted to manage the operation, the crowd allegedly turned violent again. Forest department vehicles, including a Bolero belonging to the Manpur range office, were vandalised. Officials said the windshield and windows of vehicle number MP18 GT 4082 were smashed and two to three other vehicles were damaged with sticks and stones.
The mob allegedly tried to overturn the Bolero and dragged staff members out before assaulting them. Several forest employees sustained injuries in the violence.
Those injured included Manpur range officer Mukesh Ahirwar, forest guards Prashant Mishra and Pankaj Chandel, and driver Jitendra Dwivedi. All are undergoing treatment at the government hospital in Manpur.
The forest department said the dead tiger was examined as per the protocols laid down by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA). However, following directions from senior officials and discussions with NTCA authorities in Delhi, the carcass has been sent to the School of Wildlife Forensic and Health in Jabalpur for a second postmortem examination in the presence of NTCA representatives and a panel of three wildlife veterinarians.
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Officials said the tiger’s body has been preserved in a deep freezer facility at the Jabalpur institute pending further examination.
The forest department said immediate financial assistance has been provided to the affected family and that senior wildlife officials remained in continuous contact with the state forest headquarters in Bhopal throughout the day.
