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Villagers stone tiger to death in Ranthambore
A 12-year-old tiger in Ranthambore Tiger Reserve in Rajasthan was killed by villagers who suspected him to have killed a 51-year-old man in Uliyana village
A 12-year-old tiger in Ranthambore Tiger Reserve in Rajasthan was killed by villagers who suspected him to have killed a 51-year-old man in Uliyana village, officials said on Sunday.
The tiger, T-86, was found dead in Uliyana village in Ranthambore on Sunday afternoon, officials said.
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Injury marks on his face suggest he was attacked with sharp objects like axes and pelted with stones, they said, adding that an old wound on his face suggested he might have been in a fight with another tiger.
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“The deceased tiger identified as T-86 was found dead at Uliyana village in Ranthambore on Sunday afternoon. Around two dozen of villagers attacked him with some sharp objects such as axes and stones leading to its death on the spot,” an officer familiar with the matter said.
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“The tiger was old and injured, likely due to a clash with another tiger. A forest team was tracking him,” the officer said, adding that when they spotted him, “The tiger wasn’t moving.”
The tiger was found at the same spot where the 51-year-old’s body was found on Saturday, the officer said. “It is possible that the villagers irritated him, and in retaliation, he killed one of them, or that he killed the man and then the villagers pelted him with stones, which ultimately led to his death. The tiger was found at the same location where the man was killed yesterday,” he said.
The forest officials have sent a team to recover the tiger’s body from the spot and it will be sent for an autopsy.
The deceased, Bharat Lal Meena, was grazing goats when the tiger attacked him, killing him on the spot, Kotwali SHO Rajveer Singh said on Saturday.
The tiger kept sitting beside the body after killing the man and fled into the forest after villagers spotted him and started screaming, Singh said.
After the incident, agitated villagers blocked the Sawai Madhopur-Kundera road.
Meanwhile, a tigress, T-84 (Arrow Head), was spotted to be ill at Ranthambore and is suspected to be dead. “She is 10-years-old and spotted ill this morning. We are suspecting that she might also have passed away. However, an official team was sent to her to check her health and confirm the matter,” said the officer.
