Beed Tiger Attack: Farmer Killed Near Sonipathar Hill in Ashti

A tiger killed Devidas alias Pintu Manik Takale, 38, a farmer from Takale Vasti near Deolali, on Sonipathar Hill in Ashti tehsil of Maharashtra’s Beed district at about 8.30 am on Saturday, 7 November, Range Forest Officer Amol Munde confirmed. Takale was cutting fodder near his home when the animal attacked him from behind and dragged him about 500 metres into thorny bushes, according to a PTI report.

Villagers Drove the Tiger Off

Villagers who heard the attack ran to the spot with sticks and axes. The tiger left the body and fled into deep forest. Munde said a full-grown male tiger from the Tipeshwar sanctuary had been spotted in the Ashti forest range two days earlier. It had crossed over from Patoda tehsil, where it had killed livestock, he said.

Forest Department Warning to Villagers

“We strongly urge farmers and villagers to avoid going into forested and hilly areas,” Munde said. The reports seen by IPB News do not say whether the Forest Department has started a search for the animal, set up cages or cameras, or announced compensation for Takale’s family. Those details are not yet known.

Also read Tiger Spotted in Maharashtra’s Beed Forests After Nearly a Century

Wildlife attacks on farmers cutting fodder or working in fields near forest edges are among the main safety concerns for villages bordering protected areas in Maharashtra. IPB News has more on the state on the Maharashtra tag page and in Quick Reads.

Source: Based on reporting by PTI via Telangana Today, quoting Range Forest Officer Amol Munde. No official release was found; IPB searched for a Maharashtra Forest Department statement.

Image: Telangana Today (representational image).