23YO tribal man killed by tiger in Asifabad district

According to Kagaznagar DSP B.L.N. Swamy, Vignesh and a couple of his friends went fishing in the Peddavagu stream which flows about 2 km away from the village. It was while they were at it that the tiger suddenly pounced upon Vignesh who is said to have entered the nearby forest for collecting leaves.

The big cat dragged the badly mauled body of the ill-fated youth to some distance in full view of the friends and farmers in nearby agriculture fields.

No sooner the news of the incident reached the village and spread further, Forest department officials reached the spot. They were, however, faced by angry protests from relatives of the deceased and the villagers who demanded compensation of Rs. 10 lakh and a government job for an eligible member in the family.

The negotiations so far as fixing the compensation was concerned were going on in the village until reports last came in, according to the police. The dead body of Vignesh was brought to the village.

The incident has come at a time when tiger conservation has been taken up big time by the State Forest Department in KB Asifabad district, especially focussing the efforts in Kagaznagar forest division. The result of the efforts of Forest officials could be seen that the place is teeming with migrant big cats. According to an estimate some 10 to 12 tigers have crossed over into KB Asifabad during recent months from the forest in neighbouring Maharashtra thanks to the place being made comparatively safer for wild animals. Some of these wild animals have gone resident in the local forest.

In addition to catching the images on camera traps, there were at least five incidents of direct sighting of the big cats this year. The tigers were seen in open cast coal mines and while crossing roads in Asifabad Division and in Mancherial district.