BHOPAL: A tiger created panic after it strayed into Beldi village, located on the fringes of the Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve in Umaria district, on Monday morning, injured a villager and then entered a house and sat on a cot.After an eight-hour long operation, forest department teams managed to tranquilise and capture the big cat by evening. According to forest officials and villagers, the tiger was first sighted around 10 am after it walked into the village along the edge of agricultural fields.
The forest department was alerted around 10.30 am, and by about 12.30 pm the big cat moved deeper into the habitation, causing fear among residents. Many villagers climbed onto rooftops to catch a glimpse of the tiger, while others locked themselves inside their homes.During the incident, the tiger attacked a villager, identified as Gopal Kol, knocking him to the ground in a single pounce and injuring his leg, say eyewitnesses.He was given first aid at Barhi hospital in neighbouring Katni district and later referred for further treatment. A team from Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve remained with the injured man to assist with medical care.Soon after the attack, the tiger entered the house of a villager, Durga Prasad Dwivedi, and sat inside on a cot. Villagers said wild animals frequently move through the buffer zone villages, and residents often try to chase them away using sticks.On Monday, some villagers attempted to surround the tiger in a similar manner, following which the tiger turned aggressive and attacked Gopal Kol.A forest department team from the Panpatha buffer zone rushed to the spot soon after receiving information and cordoned off the area. Using tranquilising equipment and support staff, the team monitored the tiger’s movement throughout the day before finally capturing it around 6 pm.Officials said the operation was carried out cautiously to ensure the safety of both villagers and the animal. Forest officials said this was not the first such incident in the area. In another recent incident, a tigress that had entered the Gadariya Har area of Chilhari was rescued and relocated to another reserve.The tiger, captured on Monday, is expected to be shifted as per protocol after a health check and assessment of its behaviour, officials said, adding that intensified patrolling has been ordered in villages along the buffer zone to prevent similar incidents. “On receiving information about the presence of a tiger in Chhoti Beldi village of the Panpatha buffer zone, forest department teams immediately swung into action under the directions of the Field Director and Deputy Director of Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve. After sustained monitoring and a carefully planned operation, the tiger was safely rescued on December 29 without any harm to villagers or the animal. The operation was carried out by the Wildlife Health Officer and trained staff, with support from forest, revenue and police officials. The rescued tiger has been shifted to the Baherha enclosure of Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve, where it is being kept under continuous supervision of senior officers and wildlife health experts,” the forest department said in an official release.
