Tiger panic in MP village ends with surprise return of missing man

Umaria (Madhya Pradesh), April 19 (IANS) Panic swept through the villages near Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve this week as a 45-year-old man mysteriously vanished, sparking fears of another deadly human-wildlife encounter in the already tense region.

Munnalal, a resident of the Manpur police station area in Umaria district, had gone missing on Tuesday. With the area witnessing a rise in tiger sightings and recent fatal attacks, rumours swirled that he may have fallen victim to a tiger. The local community was shocked by his mysterious disappearance, and when news and rumours went viral on social media on Friday that another man was taken away by a tiger, the authorities came into action.

An intensive joint search operation was launched by forest officials and police teams. The forest echoed with the sounds of search parties for three days. Vehicles combed the undergrowth, and even two elephants were brought in to help sweep dense areas of the reserve. Local villagers joined in, offering clues and pointing searchers toward possible locations.

“We treated it as a high-priority case,” said Mukesh Merskole, the investigating officer. “There were heightened concerns due to recent tiger activity, and the area’s history of attacks only intensified the urgency.” Adding to the fear was the recent capture of a tigress blamed for a series of violent encounters, including the tragic death of a 14-year-old boy and a serious injury to a woman who had ventured into the buffer zone to collect mahua flowers, a common activity among tribal families. The same tigress was also responsible for killing livestock and pets in surrounding villages before being tranquillised and captured for observation.

The anxiety over Munnalal’s fate, however, came to an unexpected and mysterious end on Saturday morning. To everyone’s astonishment, Munnalal was found alive in Amadpur village -- disoriented, but physically unharmed. “He is not in a sound mental state,” Merskole confirmed to IANS, adding that he is now in police custody for medical evaluation and questioning.

His sudden reappearance, with no visible injuries and no signs of contact with wildlife, has deepened the mystery. No tiger tracks, drag marks, or signs of struggle were discovered during the exhaustive search. While the community has breathed a collective sigh of relief, the questions surrounding his disappearance remain unanswered.

“This is a reminder of the complex and sometimes unpredictable nature of life near protected wildlife areas,” a senior forest officer noted. “While the fear of tiger attacks is real, not every disappearance is linked to wildlife. We’re grateful this one ended safely.”

The incident needs to be viewed in a broader context, as it highlights the existing challenges being faced in balancing wildlife conservation with human safety. This happens especially in regions where tigers and humans often cross paths. Just earlier this year, a similar tragedy unfolded in Panna Tiger Reserve, where a 65-year-old woman was killed by a sub-adult tiger near the park’s entrance.

--IANS

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