Staff Reporter 

ITANAGAR/ROING, Feb 5: In a harrowing collision of nature and human tragedy, the mist-shrouded peaks of Mayodia have become the center of a escalating crisis that has claimed the lives of both a dedicated law enforcement officer and a rare apex predator. The peace of Arunachal Pradesh’s Lower Dibang Valley was shattered on the night of February 2, when Head Constable Chikseng Manpung—a wireless operator returning from official duty in Anini—was ambushed and dragged into the darkness by a tiger while riding his motorcycle. The chilling scene, witnessed by a passing truck driver, ended in the discovery of Manpung’s mutilated remains the following morning, leaving the police fraternity and his home village of Manfaiseng in Namsai in a state of profound grief.
The horror of the officer's death has since been followed by a grim discovery that hints at a cycle of violent retaliation. On Thursday, February 5, forest officials located the carcass of a sub-adult female tiger in the same Mayodia stretch, confirming that the animal had been killed by a gunshot wound. This discovery has turned a wildlife tragedy into a criminal investigation, as authorities scramble to determine if the tigress was one of the three cubs recently sighted in the area and whether her death was a vengeful act by local miscreants. The incident has exposed deep-seated frustrations, with Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein publicly condemning the forest department for "gross negligence”, pointing out that viral videos had shown tigers roaming the highway for weeks without any official warning to the public.
Earlier, the state government announced ₹10 lakh ex-gratia payment and a job for Manpung’s family. A legal battle is also brewing, an FIR has been filed against the Divisional Forest Officer of Roing, alleging that the failure to restrain the tigers earlier directly led to the constable's death. Currently, the Roing-Anini road remains under a strict lockdown for two-wheelers, and expert veterinary teams from the Itanagar Zoo and Pakke Tiger Reserve are on-site with tranquilizing equipment. Their mission is now a race against time: to capture and relocate the remaining tigers to a secure habitat before further blood—human or animal—is spilled in the high-altitude forests of the Dibang Valley.

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Kenter Joya Riba

(Managing Editor)
      She is a graduate in Science with post graduation in Sociology from University of Pune. She has been in the media industry for nearly a decade. Before turning to print business, she has been associated with radio and television.
Email: kenterjoyaz@easternsentinel.in / editoreasternsentinel@gmail.com
Phone: 0360-2212313

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