Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh):A tigress that recently killed a 12-year-old boy and injured a woman in two separate incidents was captured by forest officials in Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve on Monday morning.
The tigress has been confined to an enclosure, and forest authorities are yet to decide whether it will be released back into the wild or shifted to Satpura Tiger Reserve.
Speaking to Free Press, field director of Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve, Anupam Sahay, said that the tigress had been classified under the “man-animal conflict” category following consecutive attacks. On Saturday, the big cat allegedly mauled to death Vijay Kol, a 12-year-old boy, and also injured a woman in a separate incident, prompting immediate rescue action by the forest department.
Sahay said that despite repeated warnings, villagers continue to enter the forest to collect Mahua fruits, often venturing deep into the core area—even at night. Such activities significantly increase chances of human-wildlife conflict, especially in darkness when visibility is poor.
To curb these dangerous intrusions and raise awareness, forest officials have initiated various outreach programmes, including street plays and community awareness drives. However, villagers have largely ignored the advisories so far, putting both human lives and wildlife at risk.
The final decision on the tigress’s future—whether to reintroduce it into the wild or relocate it to a different reserve—will be taken after a thorough evaluation by wildlife authorities.
