A tigress that strayed into Deulbari village of West Bengal's South 24 Parganas district on the outskirts of the Sunderban Tiger Reserve (STR), was pelted with stones and beaten by local residents as it lay in a sedated state in a pond after being darted by forest personnel with tranquillisers and forced down a palm tree atop which it had taken shelter on Monday morning. The frightened animal was rescued from the pond and taken by forest staff for examination by veterinarians. It was to be released into the forests, N. Singhal, Field Director, STR, said. Two persons were injured when the tigress, thought to be pregnant, charged at them after jumping down the tree on breaking away from ropes tied to its hind legs in an attempt to force it down. It leapt into the pond. There it was snared in a net and taken away in a launch. The tiger sneaking into the village, about 30 km from the core area of the STR, on Sunday evening had created panic. Local people exploded firecrackers and hurled stones at it. The tigress clambered up the tree for refuge. There is an average of 10 cases of big cats straying into villages around the STR each year, and in nearly half the cases they are snared in nylon nets or in cages laid out by forest personnel. Tranquilliser darts are used if other means of capture fail. Even though the tigress was treated roughly by Deulbari's residents, the STR authorities say there has been no killing of big cats straying into fringe villages over the past few years. "The last incident of a tiger being killed by humans was in 2001,' Mr. Singhal said. The tiger population in the STR is 249 according to the census figures of 2004.