Staff Reporter :
PANIC gripped Chhoti Beldi
village, located on the fringes
of Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve
(BTR), when a tiger strayed
into the village and entered a
residential house. The situation turned dramatic when the
tiger walked through nearby
fields, entered the house of a
local resident and lay down on
a bed to rest.
The unexpected sight created fear across the village.
Residents rushed out of their
homes and climbed onto
rooftops to protect themselves.
The Forest Department was
immediately informed, following which a rescue operation
was launched without delay.
Forest officials successfully
tranquilised the tiger and carried out a safe rescue. As a precautionary measure and keeping public safety in mind, the
tiger has currently been kept
in an enclosure.
Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve
Field Director Anupam Sahay
said that the incident took place
under the Panpatha buffer
zone.
“A tiger entered the houseof Durga Prasad Dwivedi in
Chhoti Beldi village. The tiger
was rescued safely by the Forest
Department team. Wildlife
health officers and senior officials were present during the rescue, and all necessary safety
protocols were followed to
ensure the safety of both the tiger
and local residents,” he said.
As soon as information
about the tiger’s movement
was received, forest staff from
the Panpatha range and Pataur
area remained on constant
alert and monitored the situation closely.
The rescue
brought relief to villagers, who
had been living in fear since
Monday morning due to the
tiger’s movement in the area.
Earlier in the day, the tiger
was spotted in agricultural
fields before it suddenly
entered the house and rested
on a bed. Forest officials confirmed that the rescued tiger
is a three-year-old male. After
the rescue, it has been placed
in an enclosure outside the
Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve
under continuous supervision
of senior forest officials and
wildlife health experts.