Tiger Found Dead With Gunshot Wound After Arunachal Cop Mauled To Death

Two days after a police constable was mauled to death, a tiger was found dead in Lower Dibang Valley district of Arunachal Pradesh. The tiger, a sub-adult female, was found with a gunshot wound in Mayodia, an official said. The gunshot raises questions about the circumstances leading to the tiger's death, including potential retaliatory action or other factors.

Head Constable Chikseng Manpung, a radio operator with Arunachal Pradesh Police, was mauled to death by a big cat while crossing the area on his motorbike on Monday. The attack occurred in the evening, and his half-eaten body was found the next day after an extensive search by a joint police team and forest officials.

It also prompted immediate public safety advisories from the Lower Dibang Valley district administration, restricting night travel, especially on two-wheelers, along the high-risk stretch due to ongoing tiger movement in the Mehao Wildlife Sanctuary area.

Read: Arunachal Cop Mauled To Death By Tiger While Riding Bike

This incident has also raised questions about the incompetence of the forest personnel. Conservationists said such conflicts occur due to the loss of habitat and questioned who shot the tiger in Mayodia.

"Gunshot injury has been spotted on the tiger. The question is who killed the tiger. First, humans destroyed their habitat and then killed the animal. Such incidents earlier didn't occur in Mayodia. Humans are destroying the jungles. The animal came out of the jungle due to habitat loss. People should understand this basic thing," said an environmentalist.

He also flagged the failure of the forest department. Due to their incompetency, the police personnel lost his life, and now the animal was killed by some miscreant, he argued. He also indicated that it's still not clear if it's the same tiger that mauled the cop.

"Till now, nobody knows who killed the police personnel. Everybody suspected the tiger seen in a viral video. Proper investigation should be done. Forest personnel should have tranquilised the big cat, but due to their lackadaisical attitude, the animal was killed by miscreants," he said.

Forest and police authorities are investigating the matter to determine the cause and any linkages to the earlier attack.