Gadchiroli Aug. 18 (District Correspondent) The incident of a tiger seriously injuring a cowherd in the Palasgaon forest range area adjacent to Wadsa and Armori forest areas took place between four o’clock on Thursday afternoon. The cowherd however somehow escaped from the clutches of the man eater and is undergoing treatment at the Armori sub district hospital where his health is stated to be out of danger.
The cowherd one Ravindra Pusam from village Kasvi aged 49 years went to the forest to graze cattle as usual at a distance of half a kilometre from Kasvi village in Palasgaon compartment number 89. The tiger which was roaming in the forest, suddenly attacked Ravindra Pusam. Ravindra resisted the attack with full might as he was strongly built but fell down during the tussle. He received multiple injuries in his back, neck and hand in the scuffle. The cowherd then shouted loudly due to which tiger ran away and disappeared in the forest.
As soon as the forest officials came to know about the incident, RFOs Avinash Meshram, Vijay Dhande, Forest Guard Narayan Shivarkar, Rupa Sahare rushed to the spot and Ravindra was admitted to Armori Sub District Hospital for treatment. At present, his condition is out of danger and ad hock financial assistance of two thousand rupees has been given to him.
The people of Palasgaon Kasvi area have been appealed by the forest department authorities not to go to the forest for any work and cattle grazing. Last year on 29th August, a cannibal tiger killed a farmer named Baliram Kolte in Jogisakhra compartment No. 47. The number of tigers is increasing rapidly in the district and due to channel fencing and barbet wire fencing, tigers are approaching near the villages and attacking humans which has caused a panic among the people. Citizens have demanded early capturing of the tigers.
