NAGPUR/CHANDRAPUR: A 33-year-old
farmer
from
Chandrapur
was mauled and partially devoured by a tiger in his farm early Wednesday in a spiralling
man-animal conflict
that claimed its ninth victim in five months in the district. Chandrapur MLA Kishore Jorgewar warned a time bomb was ticking and rising
tiger attacks
could be a major election issue in upcoming assembly polls in eastern Maharashtra.
During an overnight vigil on standing crop, the farmer, Ankush Khobragade, stepped down from his makeshift ‘machan’ in Khangaon village in Chimur tehsil to answer nature’s call.
Within minutes, he fell prey to a tiger, which dragged his dismembered body to an adjacent jungle.
Official sources said Ankush’s body was found by his brother who came to the farm later in the morning. Khangaon remained tense after angry villagers gathered at the spot.
A lurking tiger mauled and partially devoured Ankush Khobragade, a 33-year-old farmer, from Chandrapurin his farm early Wednesday.
Angry villagers gathered at the spot as man-animal conflict claimed its ninth victim in five months in the district this year.
Range forest officer, Chimur, Kishor Deurkar, tried to pacify the mob, which refused to give access to the mutilated body. Deurkar said villagers were warned about the presence of a tiger in the vicinity and were told to be vigilant.
While granting ₹5 lakh ex-gratia to kin of the deceased, RFO Deurkar claimed the family will be paid the remaining compensation amount after official formalities. “We have installed eight camera traps around the place where the body was found to track the tiger. A staff of over 25 people has been deployed in the area for continuous patrolling,” he said.
Talking to TOI, Chandrapur MLA Jorgewar said, “Earlier, forest officials and activists would say villagers were entering the forests, leading to tiger attacks. Now, we have a situation where tigers are entering farms and semi-urban spaces.” He said the forest department must show resolve to protect humans. “We respect wildlife and will do everything to protect it, but not at the cost of human lives. I will take up this issue in the assembly session and it will be a major point for elections too,” he said.
Experts said drastic changes were needed to tackle the rise in man-animal conflict. Shafath Ali Khan, well-known sharpshooter who was invited by Maharashtra govt to eliminate maneater tigress Avni in 2018, said, “Bureaucrats are not thinking out of the box to address the issue. They are burdened by policy restrictions and pressure from NGOs who are causing wildlife more harm than protecting it.”
Renowned wildlife activist Kishore Rithe said, “The problem is that neither the forest department nor villagers have changed their ways, thus leading to man-animal conflict. Villagers have to be vigilant and not foray into either buffer or core area. Still, many of them go to collect minor farm produce.” He added the forest department still has tendu collection going on in areas with high wildlife movement.
The agricultural fields are located on fringes of forest falling under Tadoba buffer zone’s Khadsangi range. There had been an instance of tiger attack on a person in the Khadsangi forest a couple of months back. Deurkar said, if the tiger is identified as the same beast responsible for the previous human kill, the forest department could initiate the process of capturing the problem big cat.
Last year, Chandrapur witnessed 22 fatalities in wildlife attacks, with tigers alone accounting for 21 deaths and one attributed to a leopard. In 2022, there were 53 casualties (tigers 46 and leopards 7) attributed to predator attacks.
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