Chandrapur: The forest department has launched a full-scale operation to capture a ‘problem tiger’ believed to be behind a series of human attacks in Sakoli taluka of Bhandara district following a third incident reported on Wednesday.The latest attack occurred at Amgaon village, where Chhaya Mungmode was critically injured while working at her farm at around 10am. She suffered severe injuries to her neck and ear and is currently undergoing treatment at Sakoli sub-district hospital. The incident has intensified panic and anger among villagers, as it marks the third such attack in the area within a fortnight.On March 10, a man who had gone to collect mahua flowers was killed in tiger attack. Soon after, another woman, Chhaya Sonawane from Umarzari, was seriously injured while working in her field and is currently being treated in Nagpur. The recurrence of attacks in the same belt prompted the forest department to initiate immediate action.Assistant conservator of forests (ACF) Sanjay Mendhe confirmed that preliminary assessment suggests the same tigress was involved in the last two attacks. Efforts are underway to ascertain whether it was also responsible for the earlier fatality. Mendhe said the department has obtained necessary permissions to capture the animal, and a coordinated operation to tranquillise it is in progress. Three dedicated teams have been deployed in the area, each equipped with a trained shooter tasked with darting the beast.Villagers suspect the animal may be injured or unable to hunt naturally, leading to repeated human encounters. With tensions running high, authorities are under pressure to capture the tigress and prevent further attacks.
