Tragedy in the Tiger Reserve: Farmer Mauled to Death

A farmer named Rajkumar Kahar was killed by a tiger in the Chhindwara forest division of the Pench Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh. His body was discovered at 3am. This incident highlights ongoing human-animal conflicts in the region, as another man, Kamal Uike, was also killed by a tiger earlier this year.

A tragic incident unfolded in Madhya Pradesh's Seoni district, where a local farmer, Rajkumar Kahar, was killed by a tiger in the Chhindwara forest division of the Pench Tiger Reserve. Rajkumar was reportedly headed to his field for irrigation in Gumatara village on Friday night when he was attacked, confirmed officials on Saturday.

His younger brother, Rajesh Kahar, who traced his route later on a motorcycle, initially spotted a tiger but was unaware of the attack. He only learned about the incident after returning home to find his brother missing. Forest staff and police were then alerted, and a joint search led to the discovery of his body at 3am in the Lalmati area.

The incident also shed light on previous fatal encounters within the reserve. Earlier, in January, Kamal Uike was similarly mauled by a tiger in another part of the reserve. The frequent human-animal conflicts underline the urgent need for improved safety measures. Authorities have extended ex gratia assistance to the victims' families.

(With inputs from agencies.)