Maneater tigress claims seventh life

A maneater tigress, which has created panic in several districts in Moradabad division in Uttar Pradesh, has claimed another life.

The tigress, which has been declared man-eater and ordered to be killed, reportedly devoured a woman labourer in Kalagarh forests on the border of Uttarakhand on Tuesday evening. 

Harnandi Suman was attacked when she was returning home from work with other labourers, according to reports. The other labourers ran away when they saw the tigress attacking Harnandi.

Jim Corbett National Park officials said some other tiger or tigress might have killed Harnandi as the man-eater tigress had entered the Park area. UP forest officials, however, did not rule out the possibility of the woman being attacked by the killer tigress. They said that the location of the tigress had been traced to the Kalagarh forests.

The tigress, which the officials said could have strayed into the human habitation from Corbett Park, had so far devoured seven persons in western Uttar Pradesh districts. 

Tracking teams have launched a massive search operations in Bijnore district, where the tigress was seen last. Two of the three hunters being roped in by the forest department to kill the tigress, have also joined the hunt, reports said.

Two trained female elephants had also been helping the tracking team to help locate the tigress and local villagers too have joined the operation, sources said. Five search teams had been formed for the purpose. They will be headed by the forest ranger, sources added.

Officials have asked people not to venture into the forests or alone in their fields. They have been advised to go to their fields only in groups.

The killings have created panic among the residents in the area and people had blocked traffic on the busy Hardwar-Moradabad road demanding that it be declared a man-eater and killed forthwith. The locals had later also held demonstrations against the failure of the forest department to trap the tigress.