A tigress in India which is said to have killed 13 people has been shot dead after a major hunt, officials say.

The six-year-old tigress had evaded capture in the jungles of the western state of Maharashtra for two years.

Last month wildlife officials deployed perfume in a bid to lure the animal.

Activists had campaigned to save the tiger, but India’s Supreme Court said it would not interfere if forest rangers were forced to shoot it.

A team armed with a tranquiliser gun and a firearm was stationed in a vehicle on a road where the tigress, known as T-1, had been spotted by villagers, a Forestry Department statement said.

A patrol team went to an area near Borati village on Friday evening, after receiving reports of the tigress’ presence.

A tranquilliser dart was fired at the animal. Once hit, the tigress charged the patrol’s vehicle and she was killed by a single shot from a distance of between eight and 10 metres (26-33 ft), the statement said.

A post-mortem will now be performed on the beast.