Immediately three women died in India because of a tiger attack. The incident occurred in the forest near the village of Mendhamal, Maharashtra state, on Saturday, May 10.
Four women were harvesting black tree persimmon leaves when they were attacked by a predator. The tiger killed three of the Indian women and seriously injured a fourth. Parts of the bodies were later found in the thicket. Kantabai Chowdhary, 55, her sister-in-law Shubhangi Chowdhary, 30, and Sarika Shende, 50, were killed by the paws of the predator.
Zoological experts said the incident was the first documented case in the region where a tiger killed three people at once in a single attack.
Immediately after the incident, forest department officials arrived at the scene. The injured woman was rushed to hospital. The specialists installed video cameras in the forest, reports Times of India.
“Once the animal is identified, we will send a formal request to the chief inspector of the department for permission to capture and tranquilize the tiger,” officials said.
The villagers, in shock at the scale of the attack, demanded that the animal be caught immediately. Foresters have stepped up patrols in the area and banned entry to the forest. Experts believe that the attacks have increased due to the reduction in the predators' natural habitat. In Maharashtra alone, 225 people have died from the claws and teeth of wild animals in the last three years. Most of them were attacked by tigers.
Earlier it was reported that in India a leopard snatched a child from the hands of his mother and killed him. Also in India, a man died after an attack by a bear.