A two-year-old tigress suspected of turning into a man-eater was tranquilised and captured on May 14 after she wandered into human settlements near Ranthambore National Park, triggering widespread panic.
The tigress, known as “Kankati”, was found behind a tourist cottage at Hotel Machan in Kutalpura village around 9.30am after being spotted earlier in nearby bajra fields.
Locals had initially seen her prowling around 6am and scrambled to their rooftops for safety. Police and forest officials were alerted immediately.
“She was walking around the luxury tents and even the swimming pool before finally settling behind one of our private cottages,” said Mr Vishal, a manager at Hotel Machan. “We asked guests to stay indoors for their safety.”
The tigress was tranquilised by the Forest Department more than two hours after being located. She has now been confined to an enclosure within the park to prevent further danger to humans, reported NDTV.
Kankati has been linked to two fatal attacks in recent weeks, including the killing of forest ranger Devendra Chaudhary on May 11 near the Jogi Mahal area and the mauling of a seven-year-old boy, Kartik Suman, near the Trinetra Ganesh Temple on April 16.
“She is suspected to have attacked both victims, prompting serious safety concerns,” said Mr Bharat, an officer at Kundera Police Station. “Today we were lucky. Over 100 people had gathered to see her. She was agitated, and things could have gone very wrong.”
Mr Rajendra Mali, the head of a neighbouring village, criticised the Forest Department for prioritising tourism over wildlife monitoring. “Tiger sightings outside the park are becoming too frequent. We need stronger safeguards for people living along the park’s edge,” he said.
The incident has once again highlighted the dangers of human-animal conflict in areas adjacent to wildlife reserves. With tiger numbers on the rise and habitat corridors narrowing, encounters between tigers and humans have become increasingly common in and around Ranthambore.
In response to the recent attacks, the Rajasthan government has formed a six-member committee to oversee day-to-day monitoring and technical support, following guidelines from the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA).
The committee includes Chief Conservator of Forests P. Kathirvel from Bharatpur and will aim to prevent further such incidents.
Forest officials have urged local residents and tourists to remain cautious. “If a tiger strays into a village, people should avoid gathering outside. Stay indoors and wait for forest teams to respond,” Mr Bharat warned.
