Itanagar, Feb 8: Days after a head constable was killed in a tiger attack in Arunachal Pradesh’s Lower Dibang Valley district, his widow has levelled serious allegations of negligence against the Forest Department, claiming that repeated warnings about the presence of the big cat were ignored well before the fatal incident.
Khyoda Mary, the wife of late Head Constable Chikseng Manpang, who was mauled to death on February 2 in the Mayudia area, said that residents had been reporting tiger sightings in and around the locality for nearly two months. According to her, these alerts were conveyed to both local authorities and the Forest Department, but no concrete preventive steps were taken to secure the area or protect people living and working there.
Expressing deep anguish, Mary said the tragedy could have been avoided had timely action been taken. She accused the Forest Department of failing to respond despite clear indications of danger, describing the inaction as gross negligence. In a strong protest against what she termed institutional apathy, she refused to accept the ₹10 lakh ex gratia compensation announced by the authorities, stating that monetary relief cannot make up for the loss of her husband.
Instead, she demanded sustained institutional support for her family, particularly focusing on the education, safety and long-term welfare of her children. Mary also questioned the preparedness of wildlife authorities in regions known for frequent human-animal conflict, calling for stricter safety protocols and proactive measures to prevent such incidents in the future.
The killing of the head constable has once again drawn attention to the growing incidents of human-wildlife conflict in Arunachal Pradesh and raised concerns over administrative accountability in managing wildlife threats in vulnerable areas.
