Tigress Under Spotlight: A Fiery Tale of Survival

Speedy Summary

• Location and Incident: Vandana Gazbhiye, 50, a daily wage earner in Chargaon village, Maharashtra, was attacked by a tiger on May 10 while collecting tendu leaves near sindewahi forest area. Three women were killed the same day by the same tiger (T-81) nearby.
• Tiger Population Growth: The Chandrapur forest circle has seen its tiger population grow to 347 from 191 in 2020. This increase has led to human-wildlife conflicts across sensitive zones.
• Human Impact: between January 2024 and June 2025, the Forest Department reported over 22 fatalities and hundreds of injuries due to these conflicts.
• Conflict Reasons: Increased urbanisation, fragmented forests reducing tiger prey availability, and territorial disputes among tigers are seen as main contributors. Female tigers with sub-adults are frequently involved in attacks.
• Forest Department Actions:

– Installed nearly 982 surveillance cameras for monitoring tiger movement.
– Created Primary Response Teams with over 917 members for conflict mitigation tasks like real-time alerts.
– Compensation programs provide ₹25 lakh to victims’ families; villagers still demand better fencing protection of farms.
– Efforts underway to reduce dependence on forest produce like tendu leaves or mahua by promoting tourism jobs within Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR).
– Captured many conflict-prone tigers but several end up permanently confined in zoos due to lack of suitable rewilding options or parks accepting them.

Images follow:
Shradha Gurnule raising concerns photo
Maruti Karanshya’s injury experience detailing primary care gaps nearby viewer " captioned docs

Indian Opinion Analysis

this growing human-wildlife conflict highlights an urgent need for sustainable coexistence strategies as India’s conservation successes bring new challenges. The rise in Maharashtra’s tiger population reflects progress but also intensifies risks by straining limited habitats fragmented by increased urbanisation.

While compensation and mitigation patrol responses from authorities are steps forward addressing immediate villager harms resolve causes requires holistic eco-sensitive long manageable seems strengthen pockets connectivity reversed those public attitudes Resolving land-use