A four-year-old boy was injured after a suspected sub-adult tiger attacked him on the steps of his aunt’s house in Chandgaon village in Maharashtra’s Brahmapuri taluka on Tuesday evening, prompting a forest department inquiry into the animal’s movement near an inhabited settlement.
The child, identified as Mayank Walke, was reportedly following his cousin Rohit Walke, who was walking towards their aunt’s house at about 6.30pm. As Mayank reached the steps, the animal suddenly attacked him, according to a report by the Times of India.
Rohit raised an alarm after turning around and seeing the animal attacking the child. The shouting prompted the tiger to retreat and flee, the report said. Mayank sustained injuries and was taken to Christanand Hospital in Brahmapuri for treatment. Official sources cited in the report said his condition was stable.
The incident took place within the North Brahmapuri forest range, an area where forest officials are responsible for responding to reports of wildlife movement and attacks. Range Forest Officer A R Kannamwar visited the hospital after receiving information about the incident.
Kannamwar said it had not yet been confirmed whether the animal was a sub-adult tiger or a cub. That distinction remained under investigation, even as the attack raised immediate concerns about the safety of residents living in villages close to forest areas.
Police personnel also visited the hospital and began an inquiry into the incident. The available report did not provide details of any capture operation, camera-trap identification, compensation process or specific restrictions issued to residents after the attack.
The incident highlights the operational challenge faced by forest and local authorities when tiger movement reaches inhabited areas. In such cases, the response involves identifying the animal, assessing whether it remains nearby and communicating safety information to residents while avoiding further risk to people and wildlife. The report did not state whether the animal had been located after fleeing the scene.
For residents, the attack occurred in a domestic setting rather than on a remote forest track, involving a young child near a house in the village. That has heightened concern among families in Chandgaon and surrounding settlements, particularly over children’s movement during the evening.
The forest department’s inquiry and the police investigation are expected to establish the circumstances of the attack and clarify the identity and age of the animal involved. Further official action will depend on those findings.
