One person killed in a tiger attack in Pombhurna tehsil

A person was killed in a tiger attack, around 55 km from the district headquarters in Pombhurna tehsil, forest officials said here today.
As per information given by forest officials, the victim namely Pandurang Atram (67), deputed as a guard to a nursery being developed by the Joint Forest Management Committee (JFMC) of Ghanoti village was on duty, when he was attacked and killed by the tiger on Friday afternoon.
The tiger attacked him in compartment number 87 under the Kothari range in Central Chanda Division of the forest, in the district under the Pombhurna tehsil.
As per the opinion of Range Forest Officer (RFO) Kothari Range D M Uke, a tigress with two of its cubs was present in the area where the attack took place.

The tigress had killed cattle in the vicinity of of compartment number 87 and the victim might have entered the area, provoking the big cat, forest officials said.
On learning about the incident, forest officials reached the spot and removed the body after conducting an inquest and other formalities.

It has also been informed that the body was sent for autopsy to the primary health centre at Pombhurna and an ex-gratia amount of Rs 25,000 was paid to the family of the deceased.
The remaining amount would be paid by the department after completion of formalities, officials said.
Meanwhile, BJP MLA from Ballarpur Sudhir Mungantiwar urged forest officials to take immediate steps for the safety of people in the area, warning that he would have to take extreme steps like staging an agitation, if the tiger menace is not controlled at the earliest.