Tiger kills four women collecting tendu leaves in Maharashtra’s Chandrapur

Four women collecting tendu leaves in Maharashtra's Chandrapur district were killed in a tiger attack, with the cause of the attack and number of tigers involved still unknown.

Four women collecting tendu leaves were killed in a tiger attack in Maharashtra's Chandrapur district on Friday morning, a forest official said.

The incident occurred under compartment 1836 of the forest near Gunjewahi village in Sindewahi tehsil, nearly 70 km from the district headquarters, said the official, adding it is yet not known if the women were killed by one tiger or more than one.

A group of 10-13 women had gone to a forested patch to collect tendu leaves, which are predominantly used as the natural wrapper for 'bidis' (hand-rolled cigarettes).

As they were busy collecting the leaves, a tiger killed four of them, identified as Kawadabai Mohurle (45), Anitabai Mohurle (40), Sunita Mohurle (38) and Sangita Chaudhary (50), all residents of Gunjewahi.

To monitor the tiger/s movements, 30 camera traps and three live cameras have been installed, and patrolling by field staff and special squads has been intensified, he said.

After being alerted, a team of forest officials reached the area, said Chief Conservator of Forests (Chandrapur Circle) R M Ramanujan.

For the time being, collection of tendu leaves in the area has been stopped, an official said.

A forest department team under Dr Kumaraswamy S R, Deputy Conservator of Forests, Brahmapuri division, was at the site along with personnel from Sindewahi police station for site inspection as well as other aspects of the probe related to the incident.

''The bodies have been shifted to Sindewahi rural hospital for post mortem. Compensation of Rs 25,000 each was given to the kin of the deceased,'' the official said.

Measures such as broadcasting alerts via loudspeakers in every village, displaying posters, and raising public awareness regarding the presence of tigers are being consistently implemented, and these will be strengthened following this incident, he added.