A 45-year-old cowherd, Dhanraj Maniram Naitam, was killed by a tiger in Navegaon (Wadamba) village, located in the Deolapar forest range of Pench Tiger Reserve (PTR), on Friday.

Naitam was in the forest with his cattle when a tiger attacked him around 5 PM. He was sitting under a tree with an umbrella due to the rain, which blocked his view of the tiger approaching from behind.

Passers-by found Naitam lying in a pool of blood and took him to a rural hospital in Deolapar, where he was declared dead. The same tiger reportedly attacked a buffalo in Junewani village nearby on the same day.

Forest officials arrived at the scene and are investigating the incident. RFO Rishikesh Patil said the Forest Department is providing support to Naitam's family.

There has been a recent increase in tiger attacks in Pench Tiger Reserve, causing panic among nearby villagers, especially in Deolapar. Villagers are demanding more action to prevent these incidents, and the Forest Department is working to address the issue.