Overview

• The five-year-old male tiger killed two men grazing cattle in Bawanthadi village on November 30, 2024, and June 20, 2025.
• The animal had roamed 150 to 200 square kilometers in the buffer zone of Pench Tiger Reserve and adjoining territorial forests since November 2023.
• Originating from Lalbarra in Balaghat district, the tiger traveled about 60 kilometers into Seoni before its attacks.
• Pench Tiger Reserve authorities began the operation at 9 a.m. on June 21 and darted the big cat at around 11:30 a.m. after tracking it for 22 hours.
• Angry villagers blocked National Highway 44 following the June killing, creating long traffic queues and underscoring tensions over rising human-wildlife conflict.