Lakhimpur Kheri, Nov 11 (IANS): A 10-year-old boy was mauled to death by a tiger that strayed away from the Dudhwa buffer zone forests in Uttar Pradesh.

The incident took place on Thursday evening near a sugarcane field in Nimbuabojh village under the Palia kotwali circle.

The boy, identified as Jasim, was reported to have gone to the fields to harvest the crop when the big cat, hiding nearby, attacked and killed him.

The villagers working in the field rushed to his rescue and chased away the tiger.

However, the boy succumbed to the fatal injuries.

Agitated over the incident, the villagers resorted to demonstration.

Palia kotwali in-charge, P.K. Mishra and his staff rushed to the spot and tried to pacify the agitating villagers.

Field director, Dudhwa Tiger Reserve, Sanjay Kumar Pathak and deputy director, Dudhwa buffer zone, Sundaresh also rushed to the spot and inspected the scene.

Confirming the incident, Pathak said in view of public resentment following the tragic incident, cages to trap the tiger would be set up while elephant patrolling would also be carried out to drive the big cat back to the forests that are just a kilometre away from the human habitations.