Research overview: victim demographics and behaviour in tiger and leopard attacks

This overview synthesises studies analysing who is attacked by tigers and leopards and under what circumstances, drawing on incident records across South Asia. It reviews patterns by age, sex, occupation, posture, and activity, finding that people bending, crouching, or moving alone in forest, collecting fuelwood, fodder, honey, or relieving themselves, face elevated risk, partly because such postures may trigger predatory responses. The literature connects victim profiles to practical advice: move in groups, avoid dawn and dusk in high-risk areas, and provide alternatives that reduce forest dependence. The survey frames understanding victim behaviour as a route to targeted, low-cost prevention of attacks on people.