Bettiah: Fear has gripped villages on the edge of Bihar’s Valmiki Tiger Reserve (VTR) after another deadly tiger attack claimed the life of a shepherd on Saturday, marking the third such fatal incident in just 22 days.
The victim, identified as 40-year-old Bhajan Manjhi of Banhawa Matiaria village, was returning from grazing his cattle when a tiger hiding in the bushes pounced on him. Witnesses said the animal dragged him into the forest before anyone could intervene.
Forest officials recovered his body during a late-night search and sent it to Bettiah GMCH for postmortem. “We immediately sent a team after receiving information. Villagers have been advised not to graze cattle near the forest boundary,” said Mumtaz Ahmed, ranger in charge of the Govardhana range.
The attack took place near the Govardhana Range of the reserve at around 5pm. Manjhi’s death follows the killings of Umchi Devi of Sonbarsa North Tola on September 11 and Ramkishun Mahato of Kari Khekharia Tola on October 1. The same tiger is believed to have killed livestock in recent weeks, including two cows and two goats.
Residents of villages bordering the reserve now confine themselves indoors after dusk and have started night patrols to guard against the predator. The forest department has initiated the process of providing compensation to the bereaved family.
