A man-eating tiger on the prowl in northern India has claimed its ninth victim, defying hunters and wildlife officials who have been trying to gun down the animal, an official said Friday.
Since December 29, the same tiger is believed to have been on a killing spree in a densely forested area near Jim Corbett National Park in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh.
Salil Shukla, an official in the district of Bijnor, told AFP the partly eaten body of a young farmer had been found on Friday.
"The victim was missing since Thursday and had gone into the jungle to locate his cattle," he said. "This is the ninth victim of the man-eater."
While tiger-hunting has long been illegal in India, the Uttar Pradesh state government has licensed six hunters to either capture or kill the tigress who has terrorised local villagers.
India is home to half the world's dwindling tiger population which now stands at about 3000. Attacks are rare, but a loss of their natural habitat has brought man and beast into closer proximity.
Even conservationists say that once a tiger has tasted human flesh more than once it is almost impossible to rehabilitate it and that killing the animal is the only responsible option.
Some 200 tigers live in Jim Corbett park but locals say this is the first time they can remember one of them attacking villagers.
Hunter Nawab Shafat Ali Khan had warned that the tigress was hungry and would strike again soon.
Anand Saini, whose brother Devendra was the tiger's victim on January 26, said everyone was living in fear.
"It is for the first time ever that we have become conscious of the fact we have so many tigers close to us in the forest," he told AFP from his home in Bijnor district.
"The children in the village are now being asked not to venture too far out, particularly early in the morning or after sunset.
Devendra was dragged to his death while erecting a fence around his farm. His stomach and parts of his thigh were missing while there was a cluster of paw marks around his body.
