43 booked for beating tigress to death in UP's Pilibhit

An FIR was lodged against 43 persons on Friday after a video showing some villagers beating an adult tigress to death went viral on social media.

According to Principal Conservator of Forests, Sunil Pandey the tigress had on Wednesday attacked and injured nine villagers while they were working in an agriculture field in Deurea range of the Pilibhit tiger reserve.

The forest staff rushed to the spot but was manhandled by the villagers, Pandey alleged.

The staff later found the tigress dead, Pandey said, adding that a three-member panel which conducted the post mortem examination of the animal found broken ribs, injuries and excessive bleeding as the cause of the death.

Later, a video showing the locals beating the adult tigress with sticks surfaced, he said.

A case was registered against 31 named 12 unnamed persons at the Puranpur Kotwali and a probe is underway, a police officer said.