ADILABAD: In a shocking incident, a tribal youngster named Siddam Vigneshwar, 22, was killed by a tiger in Kumrambheem-Asifabad district on Wednesday. His body was found in the forest area near Deegada village of Dahegaon mandal.
The forest area is a well-known tiger corridor between Maharashtra and Telangana. According to sources, Vigneshwar and his two friends had gone to the Peddavagu river near Deegada for fishing. It was when his friends left the water body, to get some leaves from the nearby area to pack the fish they caught, that the tiger attacked Vigneshwar.
Vigneshwar's two friends, who were nearby, saw the tiger attack him and drag him into the forest. They immediately alerted the villagers, who visited the forest area and traced Vigneshwar's partially-eaten body. Later, they informed the police and forest officials about it.
Dahegaon police and Rebenna forest range officials also visited the area. A senior forest official said that the claw marks on his body and pug marks in the area have been identified as that of a tiger's. "The authorities will provide a compensation of Rs 5 lakh to his kin," he added.
There are rumours that a man-eating tiger, RT-1, was responsible behind the kill. However, Kawal Tiger Reserve field director CP Vinod Kumar confirmed that the man-eater has already been captured last month.
Which tiger is it?
The tiger that killed the youth in Asifabad is thought to be the one which migrated from Tadoba reserve, named A2, or some new tiger that might have migrated from Maharashtra. Meanwhile, another tiger, named K8, is also moving in the region. But it has only harmed cattle, and not humans