A tiger killed a calf grazing near a village in Bihar's West Champaran district, triggering panic among residents and forest officials alike. The incident took place on Thursday evening in Bara Belwa village under Ramnagar block, when a calf grazing in the sareh, open farmland, near the Masan river went missing and was later found half eaten. The presence of the forest's biggest predator so close to a populated area has left both villagers and forest staff on edge.
Tiger Was Hiding in a Sugarcane Field
Sudhir Yadav, a resident of Bara Belwa village, had taken his cow and calf to graze near the Masan river on Thursday. While the animals were grazing, a tiger hiding in a nearby sugarcane field attacked the calf and killed it. In the evening, when Sudhir Yadav started walking his cattle back home, the calf was nowhere to be seen. He first searched the surrounding area on his own, but when there was no trace of the calf, several other villagers joined the search. A short while later, the calf's carcass was found in the sareh, with fresh tiger pawprints visible around it. Only half of the carcass remained, making it clear that the tiger had eaten its fill before moving on.
Forest Ranger Confirms the Tiger Attack
As soon as villagers learned what had happened, they alerted the forest department. A team of forest personnel led by Raghiya range ranger Rajesh Ram then reached the spot. Since it was already night by then, the team did not carry out an extensive search operation, but it did advise villagers to stay indoors and take necessary precautions. Ranger Rajesh Ram also confirmed that the pawprints found at the scene belonged to a tiger, corroborating the animal's presence in the area.
Tiger's Location Still Untraced
Since Friday morning, forest staff from the Chiuntaha and Raghiya ranges have been trying to track the tiger's location using the pawprints left behind. The teams are attempting to determine which direction the tiger moved in after the attack, but no concrete information has been found so far. The continued presence of the tiger has left villagers gripped by fear. Even though it is the middle of the farming season, farmers are hesitant to head out to their fields because they fear for their safety, raising concerns that farm work in the area could be affected.
The forest department has appealed to local residents not to venture into the sareh alone. Villagers have also been advised to keep a close watch on their cattle and to avoid heading towards the fields after evening sets in, in order to prevent any further mishap.
