In a heartbreaking incident, a pregnant woman was killed in a tiger attack while threshing paddy in a field near the forest. The incident occurred around 4 pm on Friday, December 6, in Kurkheda (Savargaon) of Gadchiroli taluka of Maharashtra.
The victim, identified as Sharda Mahesh Mankar (24), was a resident of Kurkheda, Taluka Gadchiroli. Sharda, who was eight months pregnant, had gone to the field along with three other women to collect paddy after threshing. As they worked, a tiger emerged from the nearby forest and attacked Sharda, dragging her towards the forest. Hearing her screams, the other women shouted for help, causing the tiger to release her and flee back into the forest. Tragically, Sharda succumbed to her injuries.
Sharda was the wife of Mahesh Mankar, a small-scale farmer from Kurkheda. The couple had a three-year-old child, and Sharda was expecting their second child. Despite being pregnant, Sharda managed household chores and actively helped her husband with farming.
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The district is currently in the final stages of paddy harvesting, and many farmers are engaged in threshing. On the day of the attack, Sharda and her companions had gone to their respective fields to collect paddy. The tiger attack has left the community in shock, highlighting the growing threat of human-wildlife conflict in the region.
Forest officials from the Chatgaon Forest Range rushed to the spot upon receiving the information. Further investigations are underway to address the issue of tiger attacks in the area. Sharda's death has left her family devastated. Her three-year-old son has lost his mother, and her husband has been left to care for their young child alone. The tragic incident underscores the need for enhanced safety measures for farmers working in tiger-prone areas.