Maharashtra: Big cat kills 55-year-old woman in Chandrapur district

A 55-year-old woman was killed by a big cat in the Saoli forest range of Maharashtra’s Chandrapur district on Saturday, the eighth such fatality in the area this year, a forest official said.

Testing of the wild animal’s saliva on the woman’s body will confirm if it was a tiger or leopard, he said.

According to Range Forest Officer P G Virutkar, victim Pramela Rohankar, a resident of Wagholi Buti in Saoli tehsil, had gone to a farm when she was killed by a feline.

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Though pug marks were found at the spot, the nature of the injuries on the woman’s body suggested that she was attacked by a big cat, he said. The actual predator – tiger or leopard – will be ascertained after an autopsy and a lab test, said officials.

The woman’s family was given an initial compensation of Rs 25,000 to conduct her final rites. The actual relief – Rs 20 lakh – will be released after completion of necessary formalities, said Virutkar. This is the eighth death due to a big cat in the Saoli forest range of the district since January, he added.