Tiger that killed woman near Agarzari lake in Tadoba tranquillised and captured

The forest department has captured the tiger that killed a woman near the Agarzari lake in the Mohurli forest range of the Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve. The tiger was tranquillised and safely captured on Tuesday, October 6. It has been sent to the wildlife treatment centre in Chandrapur for examination and treatment.

The attack took place on Monday, October 5. Mandabai Suryabhan Mangam, 60, was washing a fertiliser sack in a field next to the Agarzari lake when the tiger attacked her. It dragged her some distance and she died. The incident created an atmosphere of fear and anger in Agarzari and nearby villages.

Angered by her death, villagers had stopped a forest department vehicle. They demanded that the tiger be captured by setting up a cage. They said the tiger was being seen in the vicinity continuously, which made even working in the fields risky.

The villagers also demanded that the garbage accumulated around the lake be cleared. They wanted farmers to be helped to reach their fields safely, and forest staff to be sent along with farmers when needed. The forest department took steps on the villagers' demands the very next day and succeeded in capturing the tiger.

After the incident, the forest department had stepped up surveillance in the area. The tiger's movements were being tracked through camera traps and monitoring on the ground. After continuous monitoring and effort, the department's Rapid Response Team (RRT) tranquillised the tiger and captured it safely on Tuesday.

After its capture, the tiger was taken to the wildlife treatment centre in Chandrapur. Necessary tests and treatment are being carried out there, and the forest department is monitoring its condition.

Along with the capture, action was also taken on the villagers' second major demand. The garbage accumulated around the Agarzari lake has been cleared. Villagers say that the garbage around the lake had left them fearing conflict between the movement of wild animals and human activity. The cleaning will help make the area safer and more orderly.

After the woman's death, there was tension and fear in the Agarzari area, and the tiger's presence had heightened villagers' concerns about their safety. In these circumstances, forest department officials and staff continued surveillance, patrolling and field action. The quick action on the villagers' demands has eased the safety concerns in the area to some extent.

The forest department has appealed to people not to go needlessly to areas near the lake, fields and forest. If any wild animal is seen, it should be reported to the forest department immediately.