Rajasthan: 70-year-old temple guard killed by tiger in Ranthambhore

Hindustan Times

3 days ago

Jaipur: A 70-year-old temple guard was mauled to death by an unidentified tiger from Rajasthan's Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve (RTR) early Monday morning, officials said. This marks the third fatal tiger attack in the area in less than two months.
The victim, Radheshyam Mali, a long-serving chowkidar at the Jain temple near the Trinetra Ganesh Mandir inside the historic Ranthambhore Fort, was attacked around 4.30 am when he stepped out to relieve himself.
According to RTR field director Anoop KR, two other guards sleeping nearby heard his screams but were unable to intervene.
He said the body was recovered about 30 to 40 meters from the site, following a trail of blood. 'The body bore deep neck wounds consistent with a tiger attack and was partially eaten around the buttocks and thighs.'
Mali, a resident of Sherpur village, had served at the temple for over three decades and lived within the fort premises.
A forest official familiar with the development said the RTR administration has installed camera traps in the area to identify the tiger. The hair sample from the body and nearby area has been collected and sent to National Sample for Biological Sciences (NCBS), Bengaluru, for DNA assessment to identify the tiger. The NCBS already has DNA records of many big cats including that of Arrowhead and her cubs.
Just hours after the latest attack, the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) issued a long-anticipated order approving the relocation of the cubs of tigress Arrowhead to other tiger reserves in the state. This decision follows the recommendations of a five-member committee constituted by the forest department on May 13 to investigate a string of fatal incidents believed to involve one of Arrowhead's female cubs.
The committee was formed after a forest ranger was killed on May 11 near the same temple area. The same cub is also suspected in connection with the death of a 7-year-old boy in a nearby village on April 16. The panel was tasked with assessing whether the attacks were isolated or part of a behavioral pattern indicating that the animal had become habituated to killing humans.
The committee has recommended shifting Arrowhead's daughter Kankati to Mukundra Hills, another daughter to enclosure in Karauli-Dholpur Reserve and the male cub to Ramgarh Vishdhari.
Following Monday's incident, angry villagers blocked the Sawai Madhopur–Kundera road in protest. Police were deployed to the site and eventually managed to pacify the demonstrators and restore order.
On Sunday, after tiger movement was reported today inside the Ranthambore Fort, the authorities had closed the Trinetra Ganesh route and stopped devotees at the entrance gate near Ganesh Dham. 'Tigress Ridhi appears to have expanded her territory to include the fort as well. She finds easy prey like sambar and chital there, and her two male cubs are also frequently accompanying her,' said the official.
The RTR administration has made several correspondences with the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), requesting repairs to the boundary wall of the fort, which is damaged in many places. The administration had informed the ASI that tigresses with cubs and other wild animals are entering the fort premises, increasing the risk of human-animal conflict. Even after the recent incidents, the ASI was reminded again in April.
The area surrounding Jogi Mahal has long been a cradle for tigresses raising their young. Tigers such as Machli, Sundri, and Krishna all chose this landscape for its water, cover, and prey. Today, three tigresses with three cubs each, along with two adult males, inhabit this 85 sq km zone.
A senior Indian Forest Service (IFS) official familiar with the situation shed light on the challenges facing Ranthambore. 'Big cats are currently concentrated in Zones 2, 3, and 4 due to the abundance of water bodies and grasslands there,' he explained. 'Improving the habitat and developing more grasslands will encourage a more uniform distribution of tigers across the reserve.' He also noted that tigers are naturally dispersing toward the Dholpur and Ramgarh-Vishdhari reserves.
Emphasising on congestion, he said a female tiger needs around 12-15 sq km area and male needs double the size of a female area. At present, near the temple area around 14 tigers are making movements, which include three tigresses (Arrowhead, Ridhi and Sultana) with their cubs.
The official raised concerns about the large number of devotees visiting the numerous temples within the reserve. Apart from the famous Ganesh Temple, there are nearly 150 smaller temples spread across RTR. 'Strict regulations are necessary — no permission for cooking inside the reserve, and movement should be restricted to forest vehicles only,' he said.
He further highlighted the importance of relocating big cats to ease pressure on Ranthambore, promote natural dispersal, and provide new territories.