Guwahati: A suspected tiger attack on the forested Mayodia Road in Arunachal Pradesh’s Lower Dibang Valley district has left a lone biker dead. The incident triggered an intensified response from forest and police authorities.
Authorities have identified the deceased as Chiksen Mangpang, a head constable from Manfaiseng village in Namsai district. He was serving in the police force and was returning home after duty when the incident occurred late on Sunday night.
According to preliminary reports, Mangpang was travelling alone through the Mayodia stretch when a wild animal attacked him. Meanwhile, a truck driver in the area claimed he saw a large animal dragging the biker off the road. Authorities suspect the animal to be a tiger.
Later, officials found Mangpang’s motorcycle, bearing registration number AR-20-9866, abandoned on the roadside. This discovery further strengthened suspicions of a wildlife attack.
Soon after the report, forest and police teams launched a search operation. However, darkness and dense forest cover hampered efforts through the night. As a result, teams could not trace the victim initially.
Subsequently, joint forest and police teams recovered Mangpang’s severely mauled body from the area, confirming his death.
Confirming the incident, Roing Divisional Forest Officer Mito Rumi (APFS) said authorities acted immediately after receiving the information. “We deployed forest teams to the site and began investigations the same day,” he said. “Night search operations were carried out, but the victim could not be traced then. Later, joint teams recovered the body. It is a deeply upsetting incident.”
However, Rumi said officials are yet to conclusively identify the animal responsible. “We still need to confirm which animal was involved,” he added. “Based on police inputs, a medical team will conduct a detailed analysis of the injuries.”
In response, authorities have intensified night patrolling in the Mayodia area. Expert teams have also been deployed. These include a senior veterinary team from Itanagar equipped with darting guns, equipment, and tranquilising drugs.
Additionally, headquarters directed officers from the Namdapha, Pakke, and Kamlang tiger reserves to assistin the operation.
Meanwhile, Mangpang’s family members rushed to the area after losing contact with him. According to relatives, he had spoken to a friend in Roing while returning from Anini on Sunday evening. He had asked the friend to prepare dinner. However, he never reached home.
Soon after the incident, a local resident released a video appeal urging people to avoid night travel on the Mayodia road unless absolutely necessary. He also cautioned against travelling alone.
Police officials said they have collected video footage related to the incident from Roing Police. Further investigation is currently under way.
Authorities have advised commuters to exercise extreme caution while travelling along the Mayodia route, especially during evening and night hours.
Once again, the incident has brought the issue of man-animal conflict into sharp focus, particularly along forested routes frequented by locals and tourists.