Environment2 min
Beed farmer Devidas Takle killed by tiger while cutting fodder in Deolali
A drought-driven hunt for grass pushed a Maharashtra farmer into tiger territory, and his death has villagers demanding the animal's capture.
A tiger killed farmer Devidas (Mahadev) Takle on Saturday morning while he was cutting grass for his cattle near Deolali village in Maharashtra's Beed district. The attack happened around 7.30 am in the Lokhandwadi-Sonepathar area of Ashti tehsil.
Takle had gone to the field because fodder camps had not yet opened despite the drought. He cut his first bundle, and his son carried it home. When the son came back for the next load, his father was gone. Bloodstains lay across the field, and drag marks ran for roughly 450 to 500 metres.
The son raised the alarm, and villagers followed the blood trail. Near the forest, about half a kilometre away, they spotted a tiger with its prey. It fled into the trees when people shouted, but Takle had already died. His brother, Dada Takle, said the son first found the farmer's clothes and footwear. "We demand that the tiger be brought under control," he said.
Villagers say this is not the first such tragedy. Local accounts put the toll at four farmers killed by big cats in the Ashti region over three years, with worries centred on Deolali, Bavi and Dhamangaon. Residents accuse the Forest Department of ignoring repeated warnings. Local resident Mohan Amte wants the tiger captured at once and financial help for Takle's family, and he threatened a protest outside the department's office if nothing happens.
Ashti Range Forest Officer Amol Munde said a tiger has roamed the forests of Ashti and Patoda since October 17. He confirmed the tiger caused Saturday's death, said camera traps are in place and patrols have increased, and urged people to avoid remote valleys and forest stretches. Ashti MLA Suresh Dhas said the area has many cattle, which pushes some farmers into forests for fodder. He claimed the same tiger, which he called Ramlinga, had earlier killed an animal and is responsible for this attack, and he backed calls to capture it.
The case shows how drought can turn a routine chore into a deadly risk. When fodder runs short and relief camps are late, farmers must choose between their livestock and their safety. Until the tiger is dealt with or fodder arrives closer to home, that choice remains.
