Man killed in third deadly tiger attack in less than two months in Rajasthan's Ranthambore National Park

Jaipur, Jun 9 (PTI) In another alarming incident of animal-human conflict in Rajasthan's Ranthambore National Park, a 60-year-old man was killed in a tiger attack on Monday. It is the third such death in less than two months in the Jogi Mahal area.

The victim, Radheshyam, was a caretaker at a Jain temple in Ranthambore Fort in Sawai Madhopur district. He went to relieve himself early this morning when the tiger attacked him, according to police.

A tiger reserve official said that the incident occurred at around 4.30 am. Two guards sleeping nearby heard his screams but were unable to do anything.

"The body bore deep neck wounds. The tiger partially ate the flesh around the buttocks and thighs," the official said.

The caretaker was a resident of Sherpur village. He had been working at the temple for over two decades and lived within the fort premises.

In the wake of the attacks, the Tiger Reserve administration has installed camera traps in the area to identify the tiger.

Hair samples from the body and nearby have been collected and sent for DNA examination to identify the tiger involved in the attack.

Locals protested against the incident by blocking the Sawai Madhopur-Kundera road and accused the forest department of negligence.

They alleged that the forest authorities have failed to curb such incidents due to which fear was growing among the people.

A forest ranger, Devendra Chaudhary, was killed while on duty in a tiger attack on May 11 while a seven-year-old boy was mauled to death near Trinetra Ganesh temple on April 16.

Citing the spate of attacks, experts have again raised questions on the practice of placing bait for a tigress and her three cubs near Jogi Mahal close to the Zone-3 gate of Ranthambore Tiger Reserve.

"Three deaths have occurred in tiger attacks, which is a very sad and alarming thing. All the incidents have occurred in the surrounding Jogi Mahal area where baits are given to the ailing tigress and her offspring," wildlife expert Dinesh Verma said.

Since the tigress, Arrowhead, has been ill and unable to hunt, authorities provide bait to them. Experts believe that the practice may have contributed to the cubs/semi adult big cats becoming habituated to humans, which has potentially led to the fatal incidents.

"It is okay that the tiger and her cubs survived but this practice has given an adverse result that the cubs have now become habituated to human presence and it could be a reason for the increasing number of attacks," Verma said.

It was suspected that Arrowhead's cubs, now around 20 months old, who have shown increasingly bold behaviour around people, could be involved in the first two attacks.

The cub, suspected to have been involved in the attacks in April and May, was tranquilised and shifted to an enclosure.

It is now suspected that another cub could be involved in the third attack. However, it is yet to be ascertained which big cat was involved.

Verma said that shifting the three cubs from the Jogi Mahal area was now crucial.

"This is the only way to prevent such attacks. They should be relocated," he said.

Another expert said that there was pressure in the Jogi Mahal area due to the presence of several big cats and they should be dispersed.

"To prevent such conflicts, steps like minimising human intervention should be taken. One of the key interventions is giving bait," the expert said.

He said that as cubs mature, they naturally establish their own territories and move to other areas.

"This naturally helps manage the growing tiger population. However, in this case, it seems to be necessary to relocate these cubs," he said.

The Ranthambore Tiger Reserve is home to a total of 72 tigers, including both adults and cubs.

Once a private game reserve of the royal House of Jaipur, Ranthambore National Park and Tiger Reserve is one of the world's best-known wilderness areas.

Located 14 kilometres from Sawai Madhopur and at the junction of some of the geologically oldest mountain ranges - the Aravallis and Vindhyas - Ranthambore offers some of the finest opportunities for sighting the magnificent tiger in the wild.

A mix of rolling hills and crags, lakes and rivulets, this dry-deciduous forest system is home to a variety of flora and fauna. Apart from the tiger, Ranthambore is home to sloth bear, leopard, caracal, jackal, fox, hyena and mongoose.

The landscape is dominated by the 10th-century fortress of Ranthambore while the valleys have numerous cenotaphs, ruins and abandoned settlements overcome by nature.

Tiger safari is a famous tourist activity in the park, which is open from October to June. PTI SDA RT RT