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A 60-year-old woman was mauled to death by a tiger while she was working in her field near the forested area of Kavitpeth in the Virur forest range on Monday afternoon. This is the 29th fatality in wild animal attacks in Chandrapur district this year, with most incidents involving tigers.
According to forest officials, the attack occurred around 4.30pm. Vatsalabai and other farmers were reportedly warned by patrolling teams about recent tiger sightings in the area. While others chose to leave immediately, she allegedly continued working in her field. Within half an hour, the tiger attacked and killed her.

Forest department's personnel patrolling nearby rushed to the scene and confirmed the attack. By evening, camera traps were installed in the vicinity to monitor tiger movements, and patrolling was intensified to prevent further incidents.

"We had issued alerts to villagers about the tiger's presence and advised them to avoid working in the fields near the forest," said a forest official.

This is the second fatality in a tiger attack in the Virur forest range within a week. On Saturday, the decomposed body of Jangu Atram, 50, was recovered from an encroached farmland near Koshtala beat. Forest officials clarified that locations in the two incidents are several kilometres apart.

This year, 27 individuals have been killed in tiger attacks, while a leopard and a wild boar were responsible for one death each in Chandrapur district. Last year, the district recorded 25 fatalities, while in 2022 there a staggering 51 deaths due to predator attacks.

The back-to-back incidents have left villagers in the Virur range on edge. They called for stricter measures, including relocating problem tigers, to prevent such tragedies.

The forest department has announced an immediate financial assistance of Rs25,000 for Atram's family. "This is an initial relief, and further compensation will follow as per government guidelines," the official said.