A mob of 1,000 people killed and mutilated an endangered Royal Bengal tiger in a village in northeastern India, hacking off its body parts as trophies in a grisly act of retribution that has raised an outcry among politicians and conservationists.
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The villagers, armed with machetes, spears and iron rods, chased the male tiger into a wooded area roughly 20km (12 miles) from Kaziranga National Park – a Unesco World Heritage site and protected tiger reserve in Assam – early Thursday morning.
By the time authorities arrived, the mob had hacked the tiger to death and taken away its legs, ears, teeth, claws and patches of skin, according to the Times of India newspaper.
The animal had reportedly terrorised the area for months – attacking livestock and allegedly killing a man just days before the incident, the English daily Assam Tribune reported.
Locals had been aware of the tiger’s presence since early May and had prepared weapons in advance. When they received word of its location at about 6am on Thursday, they went on a hunt.
Three forest rangers were injured trying to protect the animal, divisional forest officer Gunadip Das told The Times of India. Authorities have opened an investigation into the killing and arrested one man so far.