Tigress beaten to death in UP, villagers make video

LUCKNOW: A disturbing two-minute video from Uttar Pradesh's Pilibhit district shows an adult tigress being beaten relentlessly with sticks by people this week, triggering widespread outrage.

The incident took place under a protected zone of the Pilibhit Tiger Reserve, about 240 km from state capital Lucknow. The mobile video, shot by a resident of the Mataina village on Wednesday afternoon, captures the assault by the villagers and even has a background commentary by a witness who says they are assaulting the tigress because she had attacked and injured a villager.

The tigress was about six years old and she died of broken ribs and injuries to her body. The tigress was cremated after a post mortem. Local forest officials have registered an FIR against 31 identified villagers for the incident and four people have been arrested.

Pilibhit Tiger Reserve field director H Rajamohan said: "She had sustained fractures and injuries from sharp-edged weapons like spears on almost every part of her body."