Tigers on prowl in Madhya Pradesh, kill five children in three months

BHOPAL: Tension surged afresh in villages already reeling under tiger terror in Chhindi range Chhindwara district of Madhya Pradesh with the killing of another child on Monday evening.
This incident was reported from Jholidhana village where the tiger targeted a 10-year-old boy Harses Tekam while he was sitting outside his house.
When his mother came outside and saw blood splash on the walls of her little hut, she screamed and called other villagers for help.
After a frantic hunt, Tekam’s body was found in the bushes. Tiger disappeared into the jungle.
The place where Tekam was killed is located 3 km from Mohli village where a 3-year-old girl had fallen prey to the big cat on Sunday. More such incidents were reported in the state recently as tigers are moving out of overcrowded protected areas in search of new habitats or because of depleting prey base.
Two months ago a nine-year-old boy was mauled to death by a tiger after the feline strayed into a human habitat in Budhni region, said sources. Villagers claim that the tiger has turned man-eater and therefore it should be shot. Forest officials are searching for the tiger and are in a process of capturing it.
Earlier a 10-year-old girl was killed on October 22. Her young sisters made a brave attempt to snatch her body from its jaws.
The incident occurred when the three siblings had gone to graze cattle in Sehore’s Khadabad village of Budhni block, which is close to Ratapani forest area where the tiger population has reportedly doubled up in the last few years. Five children have been killed by tigers in the state in last two months.

On other hand casualty of tigers in Madhya Pradesh also refuses to cease. Nearly 30 tigers have died in 2017, many of them under mysterious circumstances.
Madhya Pradesh was declared a ‘Tiger State’ in 1995 when it harboured nearly 20% of India’s tiger population and nearly 10% of the world’s tiger population, now the scene has changed.
The tiger death toll is alarming. Tiger population reaching forest’s carrying capacity is natural, but it is becoming a cause of concern especially because movement corridors are disrupted.
This has led to overcrowding of tigers that is straying into human habitation triggering conflict, say experts.