Man-eating tiger that killed 2, tranquillised and rescued in Madhya Pradesh

A man-eating tiger that had killed two people and terrorised villages in Seoni district was finally tranquillized and rescued by forest officials on Friday. The tiger was captured near Bawanthadi village and has since been shifted to Van Vihar National Park in Bhopal.

The rescue comes a day after the tiger mauled and killed an 18-year-old youth who had gone to graze cattle along with two companions near the forest area adjacent to Bawanthadi village.

This marked the second fatal attack by the same tiger in the region, with the first having occurred in November last year. The tiger has also attacked cattle and even forest department personnel over the past few months, creating panic among locals.

Following Thursday’s attack, angry residents blocked National Highway 44, demanding immediate action. Forest officials had already been monitoring the tiger’s movements with surveillance cameras placed in the surrounding forest areas due to its frequent proximity to human settlements.

On Friday, the Forest Department acted swiftly. A team led by Dr Akhilesh Mishra, a wildlife veterinarian from Pench Tiger Reserve, tranquillized the tiger.

Following this, a large group of forest personnel carried the unconscious animal on a cot to a safe location, where its health was assessed and the tiger was locked in a transport cage and sent to Van Vihar National Park in Bhopal for long-term captivity.

Ashish Pandey, SDO of the Forest Department, confirmed the successful rescue and emphasised that the decision was taken in the interest of both public safety and wildlife conservation.

“This tiger had not only attacked and killed humans but was increasingly straying near populated areas, hunting cattle, and even attacking forest staff. Given its aggressive behaviour and repeated incidents, rescue was the only safe option,” said Pandey.