Locals set boats on fire in Satkosia after ‘Sundari’ kills woman    

Angul: Angry over the death of a woman, who died after being attacked by Royal Bengal tigress ‘Sundari’ near Satkosia Wildlife Sanctuary in Angul district yesterday, locals set three country boats in Satkosia on fire today.

Last night, the locals set fire to the forest beat house at Hatibari and forest department’s range office at Tikarpada. They also thrashed a few forest staff.

The villagers had been opposing release of the tiger in Satkosia tiger reserve, but the forest officials have remained indifferent to the demands. The villagers claimed that tigress had strayed into their village on Tuesday and mauled the woman identified as Kailashi Garnayak to death yesterday morning.

Meanwhile, the forest department officials are conducting an inquiry into the incident.

The 27-month-old Royal Bengal tigress, brought from Madhya Pradesh’s Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve, was released into the Satkosia Tiger Reserve on August 17.