This is the heartbreaking moment a five-year-old tiger was beaten to death by a mob of angry villagers.

Footage shows at least 40 villagers mercilessly beating the big cat with big sticks as it growls for mercy. 

The mob scream 'charge' at the feline before they huddle over the helpless tiger and club it relentlessly.

According to the forest officials, the tiger had injured nine villagers and they were seeking to exact revenge of the beast. 

On finding the tiger, the villagers are said to have intercepted the animal and trapped it in a pincer movement.

Footage shows the crowd of predominantly men descend on the tigress, beating it with large bamboo sticks.   

The tigress succumbed to its injuries hours later and died. 

The incident took place nearby a place where the forest officials were already stationed in the Matiana village of the Pillibhit district in Uttar Pradesh in India.

A First Information Report (FIR) has been lodged against 31 identified and 12 unidentified people.

The District Magistrate of Pillibhit Vaibhab Srivastava said: 'Some of the attackers have been identified and we are hunting them.'