A Royal Bengal Tiger in Assam’s Golaghat district had been terrorizing the area for several weeks. The tiger was found hiding in a paddy field in Dusutimukh. On Wednesday, a mob of locals, armed with sticks and sharp weapons, surrounded the tiger and killed it. The tiger was not a female but an adult male tiger. The forest department has registered a case in this matter.
Villagers were terrified by tiger attacks
Villagers say that the tiger had killed their livestock several times and had become a threat to them. “We were living in fear for weeks, but the forest department did not take any concrete steps. This tragic incident could have been avoided,” said a villager. People complained that the forest department did not handle the threat in time, due to which the tiger had to be killed. After the death of this tiger, its body was recovered by the forest department in the presence of a magistrate on the spot.
Khumtai MLA condemned, demanded strict action from the government
Khumtai MLA Mrinal Saikia strongly condemned the incident and called it unfortunate and regrettable. He appealed to the government to make better preparations to handle such emergencies related to wild animals. The MLA said that the forest department and the administration should be proactive in such cases in time so that such incidents can be avoided.
Forest department filed FIR, mob members being identified
Forest department officials said that after examining the tiger’s carcass, many parts including its skin, ears, teeth and legs were found missing. The mob had cut off some parts of the tiger’s body. Officials said that they have filed an FIR in this case and directed the police to identify and question the mob members. A forest department official said, “We are investigating the matter thoroughly and will present those responsible for strict action under the law.”
