A 39-year-old man, Kamal Thakur, was tragically killed in a suspected big cat attack in the Bankhedi territorial forest range in Madhya Pradesh’s Narmadapuram district. Thakur, a resident of Bari Devi village, was found lifeless about 100 meters away from his home in Dam Mohalla Jhiria village.
His body, discovered early Saturday morning among bushes, showed signs of a violent encounter, according to forest officials. The victim’s remains were spotted by a local milkman who promptly informed Thakur’s family and alerted the authorities.
Forest officials are considering both tiger and leopard involvement in the attack, with pug marks of both species identified near the scene. Thakur, who worked as a cook in an army officers’ mess in Pachmarhi, often visited his native village on weekends.
Villagers had previously reported tiger sightings in the area, indicating an existing human-wildlife conflict. Authorities have taken steps to compensate Thakur’s family with Rs 8 lakh, providing interim relief of Rs 25,000 for the last rites. An investigation is ongoing, including a post-mortem examination to determine the exact cause and species responsible.
