Sonori / Riddhpur (Amravati): A man-eater tigress that has been moving through Morshi-Chandur Bazar belt in Amravati district for the past 10 days claimed its second human kill on Sunday, triggering protests and a tense standoff between villagers and forest officials. An irate mob vandalised forest department vehicle and also refused to allow authorities to shift the girl’s body.The victim, Urmila Bajirao Ivane (18) of Sonori village, was killed around 4pm while she was cutting fodder for goats in an orange orchard near Ambadevi temple and Ambamata stream on the outskirts of the village.According to villagers, Urmila noticed the tigress approaching through a tur field and attempted to climb a tree. The animal is suspected to have pounced on her, seized her by the neck and dragged her into nearby bushes. Villagers who rushed to the spot after hearing cries for help later found her dead. The tigress fled after locals raised an alarm.Soon after Urmila’s body was recovered, hundreds of residents from Sonori and neighbouring villages gathered at the spot. An agitated mob damaged a forest department vehicle and smashed its window panes. Villagers refused to allow the police to lift the body, shouting, “We will not allow the body to be lifted until the tigress is dealt with.”Following the unrest, Achalpur SDPO Ishani Anand and officers from Brahmanwada Thadi police station, along with a large police contingent, reached the village and brought the situation under control. Senior forest officials and a rescue team were also rushed to the spot.The attack came just hours after the same tigress reportedly targeted a shepherd in Sonori-Jalnapur area. A tribal shepherd Soma Parate was grazing goats near Ambamata stream between 10 am and 11 am on Sunday when the tigress charged at him. Forest officials said Parate managed to escape by taking cover in scrub forest and running towards the village. Later, it was found that the tigress had killed two goats and injured another.After the morning attack, the animal was seen in bushes on nearby E-class land and was later spotted in a tur field near Sonori shortly before the fatal attack on Urmila.The day’s tiger sightings began early in the morning when Naushad, a resident of Riddhpur travelling towards Ghatladki on a motorcycle, spotted the tigress moving along Jalnapur road, about 500 metres from Riddhpur. Forest officials later confirmed the presence of pugmarks in the area.Human kill on Aug 27Forest authorities have identified the animal as the same tigress linked to a series of attacks and livestock kills across Morshi and Chandur Bazar tehsils.According to officials, the tigress first killed farmer Charandas Ikhe (55) at Bhambora village in Morshi tehsil on August 27. Since then, it has reportedly attacked or killed livestock at Kavthal, Salepur-Shirala and Nazarpur, while also being sighted at Naya Wathoda and other locations.For the past two nights, forest department teams led by Morshi range forest officer Yogita Magar have been attempting to tranquilise and capture the tigress. Trap cages, camera traps and drone surveillance have been deployed at recent kill sites, including Nazarpur and Sonori. However, officials said the animal has not returned to its kills and remains untraceable.MLA Pravin Tayde has directed forest department to take urgent steps to capture the tigress and ensure the safety of villagers.The continuing movement of the tigress across villages in Morshi and Chandur Bazar has created fear among farmers, agricultural labourers and cattle herders, many of whom say venturing into fields has become increasingly risky.Striped TerrorAug 27: Farmer Charandas Ikhe (55) killed at Bhambora village of Morshi tehsilAug 29: A cow belonging to Swapnil Pathare killed and another injured at Kavthal villageAug 31: The tigress was sighted at Naya WathodaSept 2: A calf belonging to Pranit Mawale killed in a farm hut in Salepur / ShiralaSept 5: A cow belonging to Nimbhorkar killed at Riddhpur / Mauza NazarpurSept 6: A girl and 2 goats were killed at Sonori-Jalnapur
