Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Cases of man-animal conflict have increased in the last couple of years in the state. In some cases, people have died in tiger and leopard attack and even trampled to death by angry elephants.
Even in first month of New Year, couple of deaths occurred due to tiger attack. Forest department officials say that it is seen that villagers try to defy warning and try to go deep inside the forest area of tiger reserves, thus coming under the target of felines.
They normally go inside the core area or buffer zone of tiger reserves to graze cattle and collect forest produce, etc. In Bandhavgarh, three humans have died due to tiger attack in 2024-25.
One person was trampled to death by an elephant as well. When contacted, Field Director of Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve, Anupam Sahay said that as feline population is increasing, cases of man-animal conflict have also surged. Sometimes over confidence among villagers also result in such incidents.
For instance, a villager was resting outside a village Garhpuri last month and came under feline attack. Underlining awareness among villagers as the best means to reduce man-animal conflict, he said villagers shall desist from venturing into the area having tiger presence. Sources said that some days back, a villager Tulsiram Bhalavi was killed by a tiger in Bawli Tola forest area of Seoni when he was returning after grazing cattle. The incident left villagers red faced and they came face to face with the forest team.
A woman was killed by a group of sub-adult tigers, said to be three in number, in last December in Panna. The woman had gone inside the jungle to graze cattle. Few days back, a tiger attacked villager Budhiman Uikey (50) when he had gone inside the jungle to search for his remaining cattle in buffer zone of Pench Tiger Reserve. He was seriously injured in tiger attack.
These are cases which show how man and animal are coming face to face in areas adjoining to tiger reserves of the state. Forest officials have to toil hard to control the wrath of villagers after every incident of man-animal conflict.
