Jaipur: A tiger attacked and injured two people in Ranthambore National Park’s Phalodi Range on Friday as a crowd gathered near the Kailashpuri pond anicut to watch and take selfies with the big cat that was drinking water.
The victims include an Agriculture Department official and a Home Guard jawan.
According to officials, Senior Agriculture Supervisor Sitaram Saini, a resident of Sawai Madhopur city, was returning after inspecting a farm fence in Dumoda village when he noticed the crowd gathered near the anicut. He also stopped to observe the tiger, but in a sudden turn of events, the tiger lunged at him, injuring his leg.
In an attempt to save him, Home Guard jawan Babulal, who was part of the crowd, intervened. However, the aggressive tiger attacked Babulal too, striking his face with its paw.
Both injured individuals were rushed to the district hospital after a Forest Department team reached the spot.
Notably, tiger movement at the Kailashpuri Anicut has been reported consistently over the past few months. Despite repeated sightings and instances of locals taking selfies and videos dangerously close to the animal, no preventive action had been taken by the Forest Department.
Eyewitnesses claim that even on the morning of the incident, a man was seen taking selfies with the tiger.
Phalodi ACF Yogesh Kumar stated that the exact identity of the tiger involved is still under investigation. However, tigresses T-8 and T-108 are known to frequent the area, and it is likely that one of them may have turned aggressive due to human interference.
Forest officials have once again urged locals and tourists to maintain a safe distance from wildlife and follow all safety protocols inside the reserve.
The incident comes days after the third fatal tiger attack in the area within the last two months.
A tiger attacked and killed a 60-year-old priest inside the historic Ranthambore Fort on Monday morning. The deceased was identified as Radheshyam Saini, a resident of Sherpur village, who had been serving at the Jain temple in the fort for the past two decades.
On May 12, a forest ranger was fatally attacked while on patrol near Jogi Mahal in Zone 3 of the Tiger Reserve. The tiger pounced on him near the Chhoti Chhatri area, targeting his neck and sitting on the body for nearly 20 minutes post the attack.
On April 21, a 7-year-old boy was mauled by tigress Kanakati near the Trinetra Ganesh temple. The child was returning with his grandmother when the tigress emerged from the forest and snatched him.
(IANS)
