UP man killed by 'wild animal' in Balrampur; search for predator on

Balrampur (UP), Nov 12 (PTI) A 45-year-old man was killed in a suspected wild animal attack in the Bhabhar range of the Sohelwa forest area here, police said on Wednesday.

According to Tulshipur Circle Officer Jitendra Kumar, the victim, identified as Vikai Lal Gautam, a resident of Pipra Sarwa village, had gone to the nearby forest on Sunday. When he did not return, his family and villagers began looking for him on Tuesday evening.

During the search, they found his mutilated body, which a tiger was reportedly feeding on. The animal fled into the forest after locals raised an alarm, police said.

Police reached the spot, identified the deceased, and sent the body for a post-mortem examination.

Divisional Forest Officer Gaurav Garg said preliminary investigation suggests that the death occurred due to an attack by a leopard.

"Three teams have been deployed to track the animal, and camera traps have been installed in the area," he said, adding that villagers have been urged to avoid entering forest zones. Forest staff have also been directed to prevent anyone from entering the forest after evening.

Local MLA Rakesh Yadav visited the victim's family and expressed condolences. He urged the state government to provide Rs 10 lakh as compensation, citing the family's poor financial condition. PTI COR CDN PRK PRK