Woman killed in big cat attack, 2nd killing in two days in south Kheri div

Within 24-hours after a human killing in a big cat’s attack in Gola range of South Kheri division on Tuesday, yet another woman fell prey to a big cat’s attack in Devipur beat of Mohammadi range under same forest division on Wednesday.

Forest officials said that the deceased was identified as Rina Devi (38), a resident of Rampur Datpur village under Mailani police station.

“The victim had gone to the fields to collect fodder for her cattle on Wednesday afternoon, where a big cat that was hiding in a sugarcane field, attacked and killed her,” they added.

Villagers described the big cat as a tiger while the forest officials said it was yet to be ascertained if it was a tiger or a leopard.

Villagers in the nearby fields rushed to her rescue and raised alarm, following which the big cat ran back into the dense sugarcane fields. The area where the attack took place is close to Mohammadi and Gola range forests.

Range officer Naresh Pal Singh alongwith his subordinates inspected the site and talked to the aggrieved family members.

Sanjay Biswal, divisional forest officer (DFO), South Kheri confirmed the human killing in a tiger’s attack and said patrolling in the area was being strengthened.

“Cages have been set up at the vital areas in Gola and Mohammadi ranges besides installation of cameras to monitor the movements of the carnivores,” said DFO Biswal. He also urged the locals to keep on high alert in view of movement of big cats in the area. He advised them not to venture out into forests while urging them to work in groups at their fields and avoid movement during dusk and night hours.

Rina Devi’s killing in big cat’s attack is second in a row since Tuesday and fourth since October 4. Earlier on Tuesday, one Ramakant (28) had been attacked and killed by a leopard in Gola range while he had gone to relieve himself in the fields. On October 13, a 60-year Kamal Kishore was killed in a leopard’s attack in Gola range while on October 4, Yadunandan, a young watchman at Jamnabad Farm in Gola range was killed in a big cat’s attack.

‘Migrant elephants, floods probable cause

of big cats straying away from forests’

Frequent man-animal conflict incidents in south Kheri division have left the forest authorities deeply concerned.

DFO Sanjay Biswal said prolonged stay of migrant elephants presently staying in Maheshpur range and Dudhwa buffer zone had probably forced the big cats straying away from forest areas and taking shelter in nearby sugarcane fields.

Biswal added earlier the migrant elephants returned to Nepal through Khutar range in Shahjahanpur district after crossing Kathina river in south Kheri division.

However, this year, the fuming Kathina river has restricted the migrant tuskers return journey, due to which the big cats inside the forests were probably moving to fringes of the forests.

A large herd of wild elephants is reported to have been camping in Maheshpur range forests, which arw close to Gola and Mohammadi range forests.

­­--Deokant Pandey