In a heartrending incident, a four-year-old boy was mauled to death by a tiger in Nuapada district after the animal dragged him into a forest while he was sleeping beside his parents on Friday night.
The boy Chhaganlala, son of Hiralal Pandey of Haladi village under the Khariar Road Forest Range, was sleeping on the verandah of the house with his father and mother due to heat and humid conditions.
After waking up on Saturday morning, his parents found him missing and searched for him. They spotted a series of blood stains leading towards the forest. They followed the blood marks and found the body of their child in a mutilated condition.
Being informed, police and forest staffs reached the spot, seized the body and started investigation. A financial assistance of Rs 3 lakh would be provided to the family of the deceased, informed Khariar Road Deputy Range Officer Devdutta Sutar. Panic has gripped the area after the incident. Forest personnel started search operation in the area to locate the tiger suspecting that the animal was hiding in a cave near the village.
The locals were advised to be cautious during evening and night time and remain indoors during the period.