Ribs and legs broken, lungs punctured: Villagers beat tigress to death in Pilibhit Reserve

An adult tigress succumbed to injuries after she was brutally attacked by a group of villagers in Pilibhit Tiger Reserve in west UP in the wee hours on Thursday, forest officials said.

The foresters have lodged an FIR against 31 named and 12 unidentified people. The accused have charged under Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1960.

Confirming the incident, field director of Pilibhit Tiger Reserve(PTR) Raja Mohan said, “The tigress was five years old. The villagers attacked her near Deuria. Her carcass was recovered on Thursday morning.”

According the officer, the tigress allegedly attacked a villager in Mataina village near compartment number 12 of PTR after she was surrounded and attacked brutally by villagers. A team of forest officials reached the spot almost three hours after the attack. By that time, the tigress has limped back inside the forest. The foresters tried to track her to provide medical assistance but failed.

 Video: Villagers beat tigress to death in Pilibhit Reserve

The extent of the injuries the tigress suffered was revealed later in the post mortem examination report. “Most of her ribs were fractured and four of them had punctured the lungs. The bones of her legs were broken and the entire body was riddled with stab wounds made by spears and sharp object,” said a veterinary doctor who was part of the team that conducted the post mortem examination.