Bagaha: A farmer was killed in a tiger attack in Bhediyari Bengali Tola under Valmikinagar police station in Bihar’s Bagaha, triggering anger among villagers who vandalised and overturned a Forest Department vehicle.
The deceased was identified as Vijay Kumar.
According to his family, Kumar was cutting grass in a field behind his house when a tiger emerged from the dense forest of the Valmiki Tiger Reserve and attacked him. He died at the scene.
Villagers Attack Forest Department Vehicle
After receiving information about the attack, Bagaha sub-divisional magistrate Chandni Kumari reached the spot with police personnel and assessed the situation.
The administration spoke to villagers gathered at the site in an attempt to calm tensions. A Forest Department team subsequently arrived.
Villagers, angered by what they described as negligence by the department, attacked the Forest Department vehicle with sticks and clubs, causing extensive damage before overturning it on the road.
The incident was followed by a blockade of the Valmikinagar-Madanpur main road. Police reached the area and attempted to persuade the crowd to clear the road and restore traffic.
Tiger Under Surveillance
The latest attack has heightened concern in villages bordering the Valmiki Tiger Reserve.
Forest Department teams are monitoring the tiger’s movements and have increased surveillance in areas where the animal has been spotted. Administrative and forest officials remain deployed at the site.
The department has urged residents to remain vigilant.
Three Tiger Attacks Reported In Recent Weeks
The latest death follows two other reported tiger attacks in the Bagaha area.
On July 30, a tiger attacked an elderly man who was grazing goats. He survived the initial attack after villagers raised an alarm and the animal fled into the forest, but died shortly afterwards.
The following day, July 31, a 45-year-old woman, Umravati Devi, wife of Ramayan Chaudhary Sahni and a resident of Ward 13 in the Naurangia police station area, was killed in another tiger attack.
A tiger was subsequently sighted in an area bordering the Valmiki Tiger Reserve on August 9, prompting the administration to step up vigilance.
The Forest Department has yet to capture the tiger, while surveillance operations continue in the affected areas.
