Garhwal Post Bureau
Ramnagar (Nainital), 18 Jan: A sense of terror has gripped the Ramnagar region following a fatal tiger attack near the new bypass bridge under the Ramnagar Forest Division, adjacent to Corbett Tiger Reserve. Late yesterday evening, in the Bela Beat area of the division, a tiger attacked a man and dragged him from the road into the dense forest. Upon receiving news of the incident, a Forest Department team rushed to the spot and immediately launched a search operation. However, due to extreme darkness, the rescue efforts had to be suspended late at night.
The search operation was resumed early this morning. Amidst the sounds of warning shots and firecrackers to deter the predator, the team followed the tiger’s pugmarks and conducted an intensive search approximately two kilometres deep into the jungle. During this operation, the partially consumed remains of the victim were recovered. According to Forest Department officials, only the head could be recovered, as the tiger had consumed the rest of the body parts.
Sharing the details of the incident, SDO of Ramnagar Forest Division Ankit Badola stated that the attack occurred late last evening when the tiger snatched the man from the roadside and vanished into the forest.
He further explained that while search efforts continued into the night, they had to be abandoned late last evening for safety reasons as visibility dropped. A rigorous search was initiated again in the morning, leading to the recovery of the mutilated remains. The SDO noted that the deceased has not yet been identified. The remains are being sent for a post-mortem examination and DNA sampling will be conducted to establish the identity of the victim. The Forest Department is maintaining extra vigilance in the area and has issued strict advisories to residents of nearby villages to refrain from entering the forest.
It may be reminded here that, within the last month, four people have lost their lives to tiger attacks in the Corbett Tiger Reserve, the Ramnagar Forest Division and surrounding areas. These recurring incidents have created an atmosphere of fear among local residents and the escalating human-wildlife conflict has become a significant challenge for the Forest Department. Meanwhile, the department continues to issue frequent appeals to the public to avoid venturing into forest territories.
