2 injured in tiger attack in UP

Lakhimpur Kheri (Uttar Pradesh), March 18 (IANS) Two persons were injured when a tiger attacked them in the Sundarpur village near the social forestry region.The victims were working in a cane field when they came face to face with the big cat and were attacked.The condition of one of the injured is said to be critical.Samir Kumar, divisional forest officer, south Kheri forest division, said Bhagwandin, 42, and Dhruv Kumar, 25, residents of the neighbouring Ayodhyapur village, had entered the field without realizing that a tiger had taken shelter amid the cane stalks.Suddenly the tiger pounced on Bhagwandin and injured him even as Dhruv shouted for help.Kumar said tiger pugmarks were found in the field. Villagers have been advised to stay away from the field and work in groups, he said.Forest officials said it was an ‘accidental attack’ as the tiger left the spot instead of dragging the injured person along with him into the forest area.This is the first such attack in the past one year. In December 2019, a farmer was killed in the Sundarpur village by a tiger.There are more than 10 tigers in the social forestry region in the district.–IANSamita/dpb