14-05-2025
Tiger cub suspected of involvement in fatal attacks tranquilized near Ranthambore
The 20-month-old female cub of tigress Arrow Head, suspected to be involved in two fatal attacks, was tranquilized near a hotel located on the periphery of the Ranthambore Tiger Reserve (RTR) on Wednesday, forest officials said.
The tigress cub named 'Kankati' was tranquilized by forest officials after she ventured close to Hotel Macchan in Kutalpura Maliyan village.
A forest department official said the action was prompted by safety concerns, as the tigress is suspected to be involved in two recent fatal attacks. Around 8am, the tigress was spotted near the hotel, attracting a crowd of nearly 1,500 people. The officials then decided to tranquilize the big cat. She was tranquilized at approximately 9:30am.
'She will be kept in an enclosure at RTR until a decision is taken by the state government,' the official said.
Also Read: Same tiger behind ranger's death and April 16 child attack at Ranthambore: Official
On Tuesday, the state forest department constituted a five-member committee to probe the incident in the aftermath of a deadly tiger attack which claimed the life of a forest ranger at RTR.
Ranger Devendra Choudhary was fatally attacked on Sunday while on duty within the reserve.
Authorities now suspect the same tiger may have been involved in the death of a 7-year-old boy on April 16 in a nearby area.
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.
A senior forest official familiar with the development said a five-member committee has been constituted according to the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) protocol – comprising representative of NTCA, chief wildlife warden, local NGO, panchayat representative and field director.
