Tiger
Man-eater tiger suspected of killing at least seven people shot dead in India Getty

A tiger suspected of killing at least seven people in western India, was shot to death in Chandrapur, Maharashtra.

According to officials, a team of shooters were deployed to gun down the man eater tiger in the Chandrapur forest, reported BBC.

The "man-eater" created havoc in the area and was suspected of killing seven and injuring six, since January this year.

Amid heavy public protests the Maharashtra forest department issued orders to shoot the tiger at sight.

Sarjan Bhagat, the Maharashtra forest chief, told BBC: "The growing incidents of man-animal conflict in the area have put a lot of pressure on the [forest] department in the last six months. Considering the safety of people, orders to shoot the animal were issued."

Only a few days ago, the tiger grabbed a villager, Dattu Dhole, and killed him in the forest belt of Pombhurna tehsil, reported The Telegraph. The 35-year-old resident of Dongar Haldi village had gone to the forest in search of his missing cattle. Two other villagers who had accompanied Dattu saved their lives by scrambling up a tree.

Chief conservator of Chandrapur forests Sanjay Thakre told the Telegraph, "The feline that killed Dattu has been identified as the same tiger that was spotted around its last human kill near Ghanoti village, in the same forest stretch."

At least 17 people have been mauled to death by tigers in India in 2014 alone. The officials said that this was the third tiger to have been shot dead since 2007, for killing people in the area.

India