Man injured in tiger attack in Pauri’s Rikhunikhal, Congress demands urgent steps to curb rising man-animal conflict
Sunil Negi
Pauri , Garhwal,
Fear has gripped Angni village in Rikhunikhal block of Pauri Garhwal after a tiger attacked and grievously injured local resident Shri Matwar Singh on Thursday morning while he had gone to graze his goats near the forest.
According to villagers, Matwar Singh was ambushed by a tiger hiding close to the village. He sustained serious injuries and was rushed for treatment. The attack has once again put the spotlight on the growing threat of man-animal conflict in the hills.
Congress leader Raghubir Singh Bisht, who visited the area and met the family, said the incident reflects the daily risk faced by thousands of mountain families who depend on forests for fodder, firewood and grazing.
“I pray to God for the speedy recovery of Shri Matwar Singh ji and for strength to his family in this difficult time,” Bisht said.
“I also urge the Forest Department and the administration to take this incident with utmost seriousness. Security must be increased in the affected area immediately, the tiger’s movements should be effectively monitored, and concrete and permanent measures must be taken to ensure the safety of villagers. The injured person should be given all possible medical aid and financial assistance as per rules without delay.”
Bisht added that the government must not treat human-wildlife conflict as just another news item. “The safety and lives of people in the hills must be the top priority,” he said.
*Rising attacks, mounting deaths*
Data from the Uttarakhand Forest Department shows that man-eater attacks and tiger/leopard encounters have been climbing steadily across the state over the last decade, with Pauri, Almora, Nainital and Champawat districts reporting the highest numbers.
According to official figures and RTI data compiled by wildlife activists:
– Between 2015 and 2024, more than 230 people were killed in leopard and tiger attacks in Uttarakhand.
– Over 600 people were injured in separate incidents during the same period.
– Pauri Garhwal alone has recorded at least 35 fatalities and more than 90 injuries in the last 8 years, with Rikhunikhal, Thalisain and Dhumakot blocks among the worst affected.
– In 2023 and 2024, the state reported 28 deaths and 72 injuries due to wild animal attacks, the highest two-year toll in the last five years.
Despite repeated announcements of compensation, cage traps, camera surveillance and rescue teams, locals allege that response remains slow and reactive. Villagers say announcements are made after an attack, but there is little preventive work — no regular patrolling, no community awareness drives, and no long-term habitat management to keep predators away from human settlements.
*Locals demand permanent solution*
Residents of Angni and nearby villages said people are now scared to go to fields, forests and even to graze cattle alone. “We have to risk our lives every day. The forest is our livelihood, but the government has failed to give us safety,” said a villager.
Activists also point to shrinking forest corridors, prey depletion, and unplanned expansion near forest fringes as reasons why big cats are increasingly straying into villages.
The Forest Department said a team has been sent to track the tiger involved in Thursday’s attack and that an alert has been issued in surrounding villages. The administration has also initiated the process for ex-gratia and medical assistance to Matwar Singh’s family.
But for people in Rikhunikhal, the demand is clear — not just compensation after tragedy, but fencing, early warning systems, better rescue infrastructure, and a time-bound action plan to reduce man-animal conflict.
“May God grant Shri Matwar Singh ji a speedy and complete recovery,” Bisht said, “but the government must now act before the next life is lost.”
