Same tiger behind ranger's death and April 16 child attack at Ranthambore: Official
The tiger which fatally attacked a forest ranger at Ranthambore Tiger Reserve (RTR) on Sunday is suspected to be the same one responsible for the death of a 7-year-old boy on April 16, officials aware of the matter said.
The RTR administration has submitted a detailed report to the forest department, including recommendations and a request for further guidance on handling the situation.
'The tiger which killed the ranger and the one which killed the boy 24 days ago are the same,' a senior forest official familiar with the matter said.
'A detailed report has been sent to the government, with recommendations on how to handle the big cat', the official added.
The victim, Ranger Devendra Chaudhary, was attacked near the historic Jogi Mahal area while on duty.
Also Read:Tiger mauls 7-year-old boy to death in Ranthambore
On April 16, a young boy from Lakheri village in Bundi district was killed in a similar incident near the Trinetra Ganesh Temple, also within the reserve.
Preliminary assessments suggest that the tiger involved in both attacks may be one of the cubs of Tigress Arrowhead. These cubs, estimated to be around 20 months old, have reportedly exhibited increasingly bold behavior around humans.
According to officials aware of the details said that after the boy's death in April, RTR authorities recommended relocating the tiger cubs to a non-tourism zone — specifically Lapur in the Khandar area of the reserve — but no decision was made at the time.
Officials have also raised concerns about the practice of placing bait for the tigers near Jogi Mahal, a busy area close to the Zone-3 gate. According to one senior forest staffer, bait had been provided in that area because Tigress Arrowhead was unable to hunt. As a result, the cubs may have become habituated to the presence of vehicles and humans due to the repeated arrival of safari canters bringing bait.
He said it is believed that due to this constant routine, the cubs likely lost their distance or fear of humans. It is possible that when the ranger's vehicle stopped during patrolling, the tiger—already present in the area—might have pounced on him.
A forest guard who responded to the incident claimed that two cubs were seen sitting beside the ranger's body after the attack. They only retreated after warning shots were fired into the air.
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