Woman mauled to death by tiger in Haldwani, two others escape

By Arun Pratap SinghGarhwal Post Bureau
Haldwani, 12 Feb: in yet another incident of wildlife-human conflict, a woman who had gone to collect grass near the forest in the Lamachaur area under the Fatehpur Range of Ramnagar Forest Division was mauled to death by a tiger this morning. The animal dragged her nearly three kilometres into the forest before her mutilated body was recovered after an extensive combing operation by the police and the Forest Department. The tragic incident has plunged the victim’s family into deep mourning.
The deceased has been identified as Ganga Devi, who had gone to the forest edge along with her daughter-in-law and another woman to cut grass. According to the eyewitnesses, three women were engaged in cutting grass when the tiger suddenly pounced on Ganga Devi and attacked her. Despite desperate attempts by the two accompanying women to rescue her, the tiger overpowered her and dragged her deep into the forest.
Hema Devi, an eyewitness who was present at the spot, recounted the horrifying episode. She said that all three women were cutting grass near the forest in the morning when the tiger suddenly leapt at Ganga Devi. She stated that they tried to drive the animal away and raised an alarm, but the tiger seized Ganga Devi and dragged her towards the forest. They immediately informed villagers about the incident after the animal disappeared into the woods.
Displaying considerable courage, Ganga Devi’s daughter-in-law Pushpa and Hema Devi initially attempted to save her. After the attack, when they shouted for help, the tiger momentarily retreated. The two women managed to pull Ganga Devi slightly downhill. However, she succumbed to her injuries shortly thereafter. They covered her body with leaves and went down to inform villagers. During this interval, the tiger returned and dragged the body further into the forest. Both women are reported to be in a state of shock following the traumatic incident.
Upon receiving information, teams from the police, the forest department and the local residents launched a combing operation in the forest to trace the victim. After nearly three hours of strenuous search efforts, the mutilated body of Ganga Devi was located approximately three kilometres from the original site of the attack, deep inside the forest area.
Forest Ranger Pradeep Kumar Asgola of the Fatehpur Range stated that a woman had been killed in a tiger attack and that patrolling in the area had been intensified. He said that cages were being installed to capture the wild animal and appealed to residents not to venture into the forest until further notice.
SSP Nainital Manjunath TC confirmed that the body had been recovered following a joint combing operation by the police and the forest department. He stated that the Mukani police station team reached the spot immediately after receiving information about the attack and carried out the search operation in coordination with forest officials. The body has been sent for post-mortem examination and further legal proceedings are underway.
The incident has once again raised concerns about increasing human-wildlife conflict in forest fringe areas, even as authorities claim to step up vigil and preventive measures in the region.

Leopard enters house in Khand Village in Doon, carries away pet dog
my uttarakhand news Bureau
Dehradun, 12 Feb: Reports of leopard movement in residential areas adjoining the Rajaji Tiger Reserve have triggered panic among villagers after a series of fresh incidents involving attacks on domestic animals.
Last night, a leopard entered the house of Bhawani Devi in Khand village and carried away a pet dog. The entire incident was captured on CCTV cameras installed in the premises. Following the episode, fear has gripped the locality, with residents expressing concern over the increasing movement of leopards in populated areas.
Villagers stated that Khand village and surrounding areas, which are situated along the boundary of the Rajaji Tiger Reserve in Dehradun, have been witnessing frequent sightings of leopards. Several images of the animal roaming near residential settlements have been recorded on CCTV cameras installed in the area. According to the locals, the number of leopards appears to have increased significantly in recent months, with the animals regularly preying on domestic livestock and also attacking humans in a few incidents. This has heightened apprehensions regarding potential loss of life and property. Only a few days ago, a leopard had killed a cow in the area.
In another incident highlighting the continuing menace, a leopard attacked livestock in Kunigaad under the Mehalchauri region of Gairsain block. The terror of the wild animals, which has persisted for over a month and a half, shows no signs of abating. On Tuesday night, a leopard entered the cowshed of Kishan Singh Bisht in the Kunigaad area and killed a calf. Notably, just last Saturday, the same cowshed had been targeted by a leopard that killed a milch cow.
The repeated attacks have left the villagers in a state of alarm, with growing demands for effective intervention to prevent further incidents and ensure the safety of residents and their livestock.