States » EastPosted at: Sep 17 2026 10:35PM


Bengal fox added to West Bengal’s wildlife compensation list

Purulia, Sep 17 (UNI) In a first for West Bengal, the state government has included the Bengal fox in its wildlife compensation framework, extending financial assistance and employment support to the family of a person who dies in a fox attack.
The decision follows the death of Pramila Rajak, a resident of Ichag village in Jhalda, who succumbed to injuries sustained in a fox attack in the Jhalda forest area on September 24, 2025.
On Thursday, Purulia MP Jyotirmoy Singh Mahato handed over a compensation cheque of Rs 5 lakh to Rajak’s husband, Dilip Rajak, on behalf of the state Forest Department. Her son, Jitender Rajak, will also be appointed as a forest volunteer in the Jhalda range with a monthly salary of Rs 12,000.
The Forest Department has traditionally provided ex-gratia assistance and employment opportunities in cases of fatal attacks by elephants, tigers, leopards, crocodiles, bears and bison. The inclusion of the Bengal fox marks the first such instance involving a fox attack.
Forest officials said the increase in the fox population has contributed to local biodiversity but has also intensified human-wildlife conflict in Purulia. More than 100 people have reportedly suffered injuries from fox bites and scratches over the past year across Jhalda, Kotshila, Baghmundi, Kangsabati North, Raghunathpur and Kashipur, with at least two fatalities reported.
The latest small and medium wildlife census has recorded the presence of Bengal foxes and golden jackals in the region. Officials said the rise in fox numbers has prompted the Forest Department to step up surveillance and monitoring measures in affected areas.
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