Nuapada: A Royal Bengal Tiger has triggered panic in Odisha’s Nuapada district after it allegedly killed an elderly woman at a village in the Sunabeba wildlife sanctuary area.
Sunabeda forest ranger Shiba Prasad Khamar confirmed about the killing of the woman by the RBT after examining the pug marks around the body and the pattern of attack on the deceased, identified as Sanamti Barik(65).
According to sources, the elderly woman of Jalamedhei village located deep inside the sanctuary had ventured out of her house to collect firewood on Sunday evening. The big cat which was on the prowl pounced on the woman and dragged her to a place.
Alarmed at the screams of the distressed woman, her family members and villagers rushed to her rescue. However, the tiger had killed her and gobbled parts of her body by the time villagers reached there. The villagers scared away the big cat.
On being informed, a team of forest officials led by the ranger visited the spot on Monday.
“Though the big cat was not sighted around there, the attack was apparently by an RBT given the pug marks and the pattern of attack on the woman. We are still looking into the incident,” the ranger said, adding that the villagers have been told to remain alert against the big cat.
The body has been seized for post mortem.
