Tigers injure villagers in Maharashtra's Vidarbha

Two villagers were Sunday injured in separate attacks by tigers in Maharashtra's Vidarbha region, a senior forest official said. Shyamrao Nathuji Gurnule (65) was seriously injured in a tiger attack near the gate of Umred Pawani Karhandala Sanctuary at around 3:30 pm Sunday, Ravikiran Govekar, field director of Pench Tiger Reserve said.

In another incident at around 4:30 pm Sunday, Kisan Santosh Dhurve (55), was injured in an attack by a wild animal, possibly a tiger, in the Pawani buffer range of Pench Tiger Reserve, Govekar said.

"While Gurnule is being shifted to Nagpur for treatment, Dhurve has been admitted in Deolapar primary health centre," the official said.

Gurnule is a resident of Karhandala village while Dhurve lives in Bothiya Palora village in Ramtek tehsil and both were probably grazing cattle when the incidents happened, he informed. Forest officials are probing the incidents, Govekar said.