Patna, Aug 11 : Panic has gripped the Ghoda Ghat village area in West Champaran's Bagaha subdivision in Bihar after a tiger strayed from the Valmiki Tiger Reserve and killed a farmer on Monday.

A Forest Department worker was also seriously injured while attempting to track the big cat.

The deceased has been identified as 65-year-old farmer Mathura Mahato, who was working in his paddy field near Ghoda Ghat, under the Govardhana Forest Range, when the tiger attacked Mahato.

The animal fatally mauled Mahato, reportedly tearing open his abdomen, and dragged the body into nearby sugarcane fields.

'He was my father-in-law. He had gone to work in the field when the tiger suddenly attacked. After killing him, the tiger hid nearby, keeping the body in its mouth. The Forest Department team later managed to recover it,' said Renu Devi, the victim's daughter-in-law.

Upon receiving information, a team of forest workers arrived to track and push the tiger back into the forest.

During the search, the tiger, still near the body, pounced on a tiger tracker, clawing his thigh.

The animal retreated only after other workers shouted and created noise. The injured tracker was rushed to the Community Health Centre (CHC) in Ramnagar, where he remains in critical condition.

'We had information that a tiger had killed a farmer. When we reached Ghoda Ghat, the tiger hiding in the sugarcane suddenly attacked one of our team. We managed to scare it away and took our injured colleague to CHC Ramnagar,' said Ram Vinay Oraon, a tiger tracker with the forest department.

The incident has sparked widespread fear among villagers, many of whom are now avoiding farm work.

Forest Conservator-cum-Director of Valmiki Tiger Reserve (VTR) Neshamani K. assured residents that efforts are underway to trace the tiger's movements.

He urged people to stay away from forested areas until the animal is located and captured.

According to official figures, there are 54 tigers in VTR.

/IANS