Suspense prevailed over the fate of the Ranthambhore tiger T-86 well known as Chirico who is believed to have killed a shepherd in the area adjoining the national park on Saturday. According to unconfirmed reports, a mob of villagers, agitated by the death of the shepherd, had chased, attacked, and perhaps killed the tiger in retaliation.
Officials here have not yet confirmed the reports. However, on Sunday morning, the video of a tiger dead in the jungles surfaced on social media which went viral giving rise to the fear that villagers have killed a tiger — in all likelihood the T-86 Chirico.
The video with sharp-edged wound marks around the cheeks, stones around the dead body, and the sound of two rounds (of fire) suggested that the mob killed the big cat by pelting it with stones using sharp-edged weapons and perhaps firearms too.
This remained a matter of speculation as the officials refused to deny or confirm the veracity of the video.
However, they have sent teams of foresters to search and recover the animal’s dead body.
An official statement could only be made after recovery of the body and finding of autopsy, they maintained.
Meanwhile, the roadblock and protests by the villagers agitated over the death of the shepherd ended amicably this evening with intervention by local MLA and Agriculture Minister Dr Kirodi Lal Meena.