Tiger rescued after fatal attack near Pench Tiger Reserve in Seoni

Following the death of a 20-year-old youth in Seoni, Madhya Pradesh, the Forest Department safely captured the tiger responsible for multiple human attacks. The animal had been posing a significant threat, prompting intervention with state-level clearance.

Hyderabad: Close on the heels of yet another tiger-human conflict which resulted in the unfortunate death of a 20-year-old Sunit Pandre of Bawanthadi village in Seoni District of Madhya Pradesh, which borders the famous Pench Tiger Reserve, the Forest Department had successfully rescued the tiger using a safe and secure method.

Mr. Omveer Chaudhary, who knows the in and out of Pench Reserve and who had the privilege of tracking the legendary ‘Queen of Pench’ Collarwali from its early days to the tragic death in 2022 after she gave birth to a record 29 cubs in eight litters over her lifetime, said the youth lost his life on June 20 after being attacked by a tiger while grazing cattle in the nearby forest.

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“The tiger’s image was captured on a camera trap installed near the incident site. Notably, this tiger had previously attacked another youth from the same village on November 30, 2024, resulting in their death,” the Forest Department said in an official note on the incident.

“Over the past month, the tiger had attempted to pounce on forest officials and villagers multiple times, posing a significant threat to human life and sparking anger among the local community,” said a Department official.

“Given the risk to human life and potential harm to the tiger, the forest department obtained permission from the Chief Wildlife Warden of Madhya Pradesh and successfully rescued the tiger on June 21 using a safe and secure method,” the Department said in a statement.