Three tiger cubs kill woman as she enters restricted area of Panna Tiger Reserve; incident occurs in Reserve’s restricted area

BHOPAL: A 58-year-old woman was mauled to death by three sub-adult tigers in the Southern Hinota area of Panna Tiger Reserve, located in Madhya Pradesh's Panna district. The attack took place on Saturday morning when Phuliya Sahu, along with three other women, ventured into the core, restricted zone of the reserve to collect fodder—an activity that local villagers regularly perform.

At around 9:00 AM, while the group was in the forested area near Hinota, they encountered three sub-adult tigers, approximately one year old. The tigers quickly attacked Phuliya, dragging her away into the jungle. The other women, who were nearby, witnessed the horrific scene but were unable to intervene.

According to eyewitnesses, the three tigers attacked Phuliya simultaneously, dragging her deeper into the forest where she was killed and partially consumed. The authorities later recovered the body with the help of elephants, which were used to safely remove the remains from the area. This marks the first-ever case of a tiger attack on a human in the history of the Panna Tiger Reserve, which has been known for its successful tiger reintroduction programs.

Preliminary investigations suggest that the tigers responsible for the attack are likely the cubs of a well-known tigress, coded 652, who resides in the reserve. The reserve management has launched a comprehensive operation to track and identify these tigers using elephant patrols and surveillance methods.

In response to the attack, Panna Tiger Reserve's management has temporarily restricted tourism in the Southern Hinota area due to concerns over the safety of both visitors and locals. "This is an unprecedented situation. We are closely monitoring the tigers involved with the help of trained elephant patrols. Our priority is to ensure the safety of the community," said Anjana Tirkey, Field Director of Panna Tiger Reserve, in an interview with TOI.

Tirkey also confirmed that the victim’s family would be compensated according to legal provisions. However, she noted that the woman had entered a restricted area, which is typically off-limits to the public. Authorities are also considering relocating the tigers involved in the attack to reduce the potential for future human-animal conflicts.

Officials believe the cubs involved in the attack had recently separated from their mother, the tigress coded 652, as she had given birth to additional cubs.