Maharashtra's Chandrapur district, which is home to the Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR), has become the latest hotspot for human-wildlife conflict. Five people have been killed in separate incidents involving a tiger and a leopard in September alone. According to the Chandrapur Forest Department, there are currently 347 tigers in the Chandrapur forest. The number has increased dramatically; the total was 191 in 2020.

Tigress, tigress burning bright

Chandrapur forest circle officials confirmed that four people were killed by a tiger and one by a leopard in September, bringing the total for deaths caused by tigers to 30 in nine months (January 1 to September 19). The five incidents include the attacks on Pandurang Chachane in Sawali village, Annapurana Bilone in Mul village, Sunil Balkrishnarao from Brahmapuri, Vidya Masram from Chimur village, and a seven-year-old child from Gadbori village.

The latest death occurred on September 18, when a 40-year-old woman identified as Vidya Masram was killed by a tiger in Chimur village in Brahmapuri Division. "She was attacked while she was working at her farm. We have identified the tiger and alerted the villagers of neighbouring villages and forest officers and deployed Primary Response Teams (PRT)," said the official from the Brahmapuri Division.

Brahmapuri is one of the three divisions of the Chandrapur forest circle, spanning over 4,081 sq. km. The other two are Central Chanda and Chandrapur.

Leopard attack

On the same day, another incident occurred around 7:30 p.m. in Gadbori village of Sindewahi taluka, 34 km away from Chimur village, where Prasheel Mankar (7) was taken and killed by a leopard while he was returning home from a village function with his uncle and sister. "Both kids were with me. He whispered 'kaka'. I said 'Prashil' and saw him being grabbed by the animal. I went numb and couldn't do anything, because I had another child with me," said Nandkishore Mankar (32), Prasheel's uncle, who is a daily wage earner.

The forest officials found the body on Friday morning (September 19, 2025), lying outside the village. These incidents have stirred up panic and villagers have demanded that animal movements be blocked with solar fencing, solar lights, and also the cleaning up of the hill in their village.

"We did not want them to take the body unless they gave us a written assurance that they would fulfil our demands. These attacks are happening repeatedly. What was the mistake of that seven-year-old kid?" said Chandrakant Dalal (30), from Gadbori village.

After attack procedures

"We are trying to tackle villagers' anxiety and have agreed to their demands. We have deployed the PRT team and are taking care of after-attack procedures," said Dr. Prabhu Nath Shukla, the IFS officer holding additional charge of Chandrapur Circle. After a written assurance was provided, the body was sent for autopsy nine hours after it was found according to forest officials.

Meanwhile, the Sarpanch of the village, Sheela Upvarkar, criticised the department for "negligence," as similar demands were made four years ago, when a tiger took an elderly woman while she was sleeping at home.

Human-wildlife conflict escalates in Chandrapur as five more fall victim to big cats