Man killed by tiger in Khitouli range of Bandhavgarh

There is a news from Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve which none of us would love to hear. Amod Lakda, aged about 55 years and a school teacher by profession is said to have been killed by a tiger while collecting firewood from the Khitouli range.

He was working in a Government school in Karchulia village and probably stumbled onto the tiger near a water tank in the buffer area. The body was recovered from the spot and not dragged away for feeding after the kill suggesting that it is probably an accident. However, the locals took the matter in their hands and burnt forest posts, two jeeps and several motorbikes of the forest department as well as a police post in Khitouli. The locals have demanded the tiger to be declared as a maneater.

Human animal conflict is on the rise as people are often venturing into the forest in search of firewood or for collecting non-timber forest produce like mahua.