Daijiworld Media Network - Lakhimpur Kheri

Lakhimpur Kheri, Jun 30: An injured tiger died in Uttar Pradesh’s Lakhimpur Kheri district hours after attacking a villager who accidentally approached the immobile animal while grazing cattle, forest officials said on Tuesday.

The tiger, which had sustained serious injuries before the incident, attacked 55-year-old Kali Charan of Udaypur village in the South Kheri forest division on Monday evening.

Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Tapas Mihir said Kali Charan was undergoing treatment at King George’s Medical University (KGMU) in Lucknow and his condition was out of danger.

Following the attack, forest department teams launched a search operation and located the injured tiger around 100 metres from the attack site.

“The tiger appeared unable to move because of its injuries,” the DFO said.

A veterinarian from Kanpur Zoo was called to treat the animal, but despite efforts, the tiger died late Monday night.

The carcass has been sent to the Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI) in Bareilly for a post-mortem examination to ascertain the exact cause of death.

The tiger’s death is the fourth big cat fatality reported in Uttar Pradesh this year and the second such incident within a week.

On June 23, a four-year-old tigress died in the Majhgain range of the Dudhwa Tiger Reserve buffer zone after being tranquilised and captured. Preliminary findings suggested haemorrhagic gastritis and severe parasitic infection as possible causes of death, while the final report is awaited.

Earlier this year, another tigress was killed after being hit by a train in the Mailani range of the Dudhwa buffer zone on April 1. Another tiger died on May 6 in the Majhgain range, reportedly due to a territorial or mating-related conflict.