Woman Killed in Tiger Attack Near Bandipur Reserve
A tragic incident occurred in Deshipura Colony, a forest-side village in the Omkara Range of Bandipur Tiger Reserve, where a 40-year-old woman shepherd, Puttamma, was killed in a tiger attack on Wednesday evening.
Puttamma was grazing sheep on the outskirts of the village when the tiger pounced on her, fatally grabbing her by the neck and dragging her into the forest. When the sheep failed to return by dusk, her worried family launched a search and found her lifeless body deep in the forest.
Terrified locals immediately alerted forest officials. ACF Suresh and RFO Satish rushed to the scene for inspection, and District Scheduled Caste Welfare Officer Bindhya also visited the site upon hearing of the incident.
The attack has left the villagers in deep shock and fear, with concerns rising about frequent wildlife incursions into human settlements near the reserve.
Residents of Deshipura have demanded swift and appropriate compensation for the bereaved family, along with urgent preventive measures to avoid future human-wildlife conflicts.
The forest department is expected to initiate procedures for compensation and assess strategies to enhance safety around forest-fringe communities.
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