Tiger mauls farmer to death in Pilibhit

A tiger mauled a farmer to death in Neuria area of Pilibhit on Friday. The partially eaten body, recovered 300 metres inside the Pilibhit Tiger Reserve (PTR), was sent to Pilibhit district hospital for post mortem examination and police registered a complaint in the matter.

With the farmer’s death, the death toll in tiger attacks in Pilibhit has gone up to nine this year. In a similar attack on May 9, a 50-year-old farmer was killed by a tiger in Mahof range of the reserve “The body was found in compartment 119 A of Mala forest range on Saturday. Some villagers who were with forest guards spotted it ,” said divisional forest officer (DFO) of Pilibhit Tiger Reserve Kailash Prakash. “The villagers and relatives identified the deceased as Keval Prasad ,56, of Roop Pur village,” he said . Flesh from the right leg and right arm of the body was missing.

According to villagers, Keval Prasad was a marginal farmer and also guarded the farms of other villagers to earn a livelihood . He left his house on Friday afternoon and was expected to return in the evening.

“Prima facie it appears that he went inside the forest apparently to collect firewood when he was attacked by the tiger,” the DFO said. “After killing him, the animal dragged his body further inside the forest and consumed him,” he added.

The forest officials have decided to provide financial help for the last rites of the deceased. The forest department will also request the state government to provide financial help to the family.