Mumbai: Maharashtra’s Chandrapur district, known as the home of tigers, is seeing a sharp increase in man-animal conflict, with 11 people killed in tiger attacks in May alone, officials said.
The deaths occurred deep inside the forest, not because the tigers had strayed into human settlements but because people entered tiger habitats during the mahua and tendu leaf collection season in April and May.
The leaves are used in the beedi-making industry, drawing thousands of villagers into the forest despite strict government guidelines restricting entry, increasing the risk of fatal encounters with tigers.
“These are not recent deaths. This is an old phenomenon that has been happening for the last 15 years. Most of these recent deaths happened inside the forests because of the tendu leaf collection season of 15-20 days,” Dr Jitendra Ramgoankar, Chandrapur’s chief conservator of forests (CCF), told ThePrint.
According to official data, the tiger population increased from 312 in 2020 to 444 in 2025. In the last two years, 55 people have died and 886 people were injured due to tiger attacks.
Chandrapur district has a rich forest cover spread across 4,800 sq km, which includes the famous Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve.
Officials said that in addition to tendu leaves, timber collection for construction and furniture, as well as firewood collection, had also contributed to the recent deaths.
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Rising tiger attacks
The recent attacks involved multiple tigers at different places inside the forests, officials said. While a single tiger attacked two people in the Brahmapuri area, the attacks in the rest of the Chandrapur forests were carried out by different tigers.
The department has already identified the tigers involved in the attacks.
“They are early adolescent tigers who were just venturing out of their mother’s shelter. That is the time they have maximum curiosity. They are eager to explore like human teenagers. Hence, these attacks are taking place,” said a senior forest department official.
“But the tigers are not to be completely blamed as these attacks are happening deep within the forested areas,” the official added.
Ramgaonkar said that about 45,000 to 50,000 people ventured into the forests during the tendu collection season.
The forest department has strict guidelines prohibiting entry before 8 am or staying after 5 pm But people regularly ignore these warnings.
“They are repeatedly advised by the department not to go into the forests. But people hardly listen and, at times, even if we block the road, they find other routes,” said the forest official quoted above.
The official said many people depended on the forest for a livelihood. And since the forest doesn’t have a single entry or exit point, people find other hidden ways to enter.
“These guidelines apply even during the tendu leaf collection season. We ask them to go in groups during the time frame allowed,” said Ramgaonkar.
However, people go into the forest early in the morning to collect as many leaves as possible and maximise their income.
The senior official said they initially go in groups, but after entering the forest, they split up.
“There is a lot of competition among them. That is why they spread out to collect as much as they can. These attacks happen when they are alone in a crouching position (cutting position). The tigers then see these humans as their prey,” said the senior official.
The forest department has urged villagers to look for alternative means of livelihood to reduce their dependence on the forest.
“We can’t take away this livelihood from the people, as they have been collecting these leaves for generations. All of a sudden, you can’t ask people not to go into the forest,” the official said. “But we have advisories asking them to move in groups and also find an alternative livelihood. It is a gradual change and we are working on it.”
With tendu collection over for this year, forest officials are now aiming to find a solution before the next season.
(Edited by Sugita Katyal)
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