A tiger wandered into Chhoti Beldi village, near the Bandhavgarh Reserve in Madhya Pradesh, on Monday morning, creating widespread panic and injuring a local resident. The incident occurred within the Panpatha buffer zone.

The tiger was first spotted attacking a cow before it entered the home of Durga Prasad Dwivedi and rested on a cot for a while. Gopal Kol, a 25-year-old tribal resident, attempted to drive the tiger away but was seriously injured when the tiger swiped at his leg. Kol is currently receiving treatment at a hospital in the neighboring Katni district.

Authorities from the forest and revenue departments, along with the police, responded swiftly to the incident, cordoning off the area. After several hours of effort, the tiger was successfully tranquilized and relocated to the Baheraha enclosure within the Bandhavgarh Reserve. The animal is now under close observation by experts.

Anupam Sahay, Field Director of Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve, urged villagers to remain vigilant and exercise caution, especially when venturing into fields.

This incident follows previous reports of human-wildlife conflict in the area. In April 2025, a 12-year-old boy was killed in a tiger attack in the Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve. The boy, Vijay Kol, had been collecting Mahua flowers with his grandfather and uncle when the attack occurred. In March 2025, a 50-year-old man was also killed by a tigress in the Panpatha buffer area while grazing goats.

These incidents have raised concerns among villagers, with Pipariya village Sarpanch Raju expressing concerns about the repeated tiger attacks and urging the Forest Department to relocate tigers from the area and provide compensation to the families of victims.