Desk |  Gondia

A tragic incident was reported from Maharashtra’s Gondia district where a 65-year-old woman lost her life after being attacked by a tiger while collecting forest produce in a nearby jungle area. The incident has created fear among villagers living close to forest regions and raised concerns over increasing human-wildlife conflict in the area.

According to local sources, the elderly woman had gone into the forest during the morning hours along with a few other villagers to collect tendu leaves and other forest products, which are commonly gathered during this season for livelihood purposes. During the activity, a tiger suddenly emerged from the dense forest and attacked the woman before anyone could react.

The people accompanying her reportedly tried to scare the animal away by shouting and making noise, but the tiger dragged the woman deeper into the forest. Forest department officials and local police were immediately informed after the incident. A search operation was launched, and the woman’s body was later recovered from the forest area.

Officials from the forest department reached the spot and began an investigation into the incident. Preliminary reports suggest that the tiger may have been moving near human settlements in search of prey. Authorities have advised villagers to avoid entering deep forest areas alone and to remain alert while collecting forest products.

The incident has once again highlighted the growing tension between wildlife movement and human activity in forest-adjacent villages. Local residents have demanded stronger safety measures, including regular forest patrols and compensation for the victim’s family.

Forest officials stated that efforts are being made to monitor tiger movement in the region and prevent such incidents in the future.