A terrible trend is reported in Indian villages. Residents in the village were reportedly willing to feed parents or elderly family members to tigers, just to get compensation.
As reported this week by Indian media, Times of India, this trend is found in villages bordering the tiger wildlife sanctuary of Pilibhit Tiger Reserve (PTR).
Local officials said the people in the village sent the elderly into the forest of Mala that entered the management of PTR for tiger prey. Then the body was taken and thrown into the plantation residents, so they can get compensation money from the PTR.
The compensation money paid reaches hundreds of thousands of rupees. If a corpse is found in the forest, PTR will not pay compensation because the victim is considered to have entered without permission.
Since February 16, there have been seven deaths from tiger attacks on the elderly in the region.
Kalim Athar officials from the Indian Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) say the case's engineering is known based on an investigation of individuals, the location of corpses, and the testimony of local residents.
For example in the latest case July 1 last. The corpse of a 55-year-old woman tiger victim was found in the rice fields.
The forest guard V K Singh who investigated the case said the woman did not die in the fields. Rags of victim's clothing are found in the forest of tiger shelters.
Also found tractor trace from the forest leads to the rice fields of the residents. He concluded, he died 1.5 km in the forest, and his body was moved to a nearby village.
Local farmer Jarnail Singh, 60, said the action was done on the initiative and consent of the victim himself, in order to keep his family out of poverty.
"Unable to get resources from the forest, this is the only way their families get out of poverty," Singh said.
Well, here's another to add to my pros and cons "having kids" list...(yikes!)