Uttar Pradesh: Villagers in Pilibhit using elders as tiger prey to get govt compensation

With rising incidents of tiger attacks on senior citizens and over half a dozen deaths reported since February, authorities from the Pilibhit Tiger Reserve (PTR) suspect villagers of sending elders into the forest as tiger prey in order to get compensation, reported Times of India.

The officials suspect that villages bordering PTR send older members into forest as tiger prey and then their bodies are shifted to fields to claim compensation from the government. This is because they are not entitled to get money if their kin die in the reserve.

The conclusion was drawn by the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau’s (WCCB) Kalim Athar while examining tiger attacks in the area.

Athar who has submitted a report to top WCCB officials said that the bureau authorities have decided to refer the matter to the National Tiger Conservation Authority for further action.

However, villagers say that elders were willing participants as the belive that this is the only way their families can escape poverty.