Royal Bengal Tiger Beaten to Death by 1,000 in Golaghat

In a deeply disturbing incident from Assam's Golaghat district, over one thousand villagers brutally killed a Royal Bengal tiger in an act of retaliation. The killing, driven by anger over a man's death, has sparked widespread outrage, particularly as it marks the third such incident involving tiger deaths in Assam this year, raising serious concerns over wildlife conservation efforts.

According to reports, the incident occurred on Thursday in Dusutimukh village. Villagers alleged that about a month ago, a man from a nearby village was killed in a tiger attack, and that the same animal had been preying on their livestock, including pigs and goats. Fuelled by anger, over a thousand villagers armed themselves with sharp weapons, iron rods, and machetes and launched a coordinated hunt around 6 a.m.

Between 8 and 9 a.m., they cornered the tiger in a forested area approximately 20 kilometers from the Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve and attacked it. Forest and police officials, who were alerted, were unable to reach the site in time. The tiger was surrounded and killed before authorities could intervene. Officials later confirmed that villagers had cut off and taken away the tiger’s body parts—including legs, ears, skin, teeth, and claws—as trophies.

Three forest department personnel were injured while trying to stop the attack. Golaghat Divisional Forest Officer Gunadeep Das stated that one individual has been arrested, and a case has been registered as investigations continue. A post-mortem confirmed the tiger died due to wounds inflicted by sharp weapons, not gunfire. Its remains were cremated at the Golaghat Range Office.

Local Member of Legislative Assembly Mrinal Saikia expressed deep sorrow over the incident. “This is a tragic event. This land belongs not only to humans but also to animals. Wildlife too needs space to survive,” he said.

Environmental activist Apurba Ballav Goswami revealed that locals had been aware of the tiger's movements near Dusutimukh village since early May. “On May 4, a local resident informed us of the tiger’s presence, and we alerted the forest department. Had forest forces been deployed with adequate preparedness, this tragic event could have been prevented,” he stated.

Forest department sources indicated that the villagers had been preparing weapons for the hunt in advance. This year’s spike in tiger deaths in Assam has become a growing cause for alarm. Previous tiger carcasses were discovered in Orang National Park and in the Biswanath Wildlife Division. The recent killing has cast a shadow over ongoing tiger conservation efforts.

Sonali Ghosh, Field Director of the Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve, stated that the origin of the deceased tiger has not yet been identified. A comprehensive investigation into the incident is currently underway.