Sunday, March 7, 2010


Two Tigers Down . ..

Where.. . Why.. . How?

Today 2 Sub adult tigers found dead due to poisoning in Talda Khet village which is in corridor of Ranthambhore National Park (RNP) and Keladevi Sanctuary (KDS)

The carcass of tiger 1 - sub adult cub

Forest Department inspecting the dead bodies of one of the 2 tigers dead

Ranthambhore - 7th of March 2010


Place – Village Taldakhet (In corridor area between Ranthambhore National Park and Keladevi Sanctuary, 1/2 Km away from RNP)


2 tigers were found dead in Village Talda khet, which comprises of just 5 Gujjar families. The age of tigers was about 2 year old.

Carcass of Tiger 1 found at some distance from its brother


Carcass of the sub adult Tiger - 2

The carcass was 2-3 days old. The tigers had killed 2 goats, one goat was tied to a tree which was probably poisoned by the villagers, while the other goat was lying on the ground nearby. The reason was that these tigers had been killing villagers livestock!­

No external injury was found on the tigers, and the bodies were in almost decomposed state.

Almost decomposed body found after 2 - 3 days - shows the lack of monitoring?!

Satellite map of the village where the 2 sub adult cubs were found dead due to poisoning.

This is exactly the same place where a few days back a road was being constructed between Keladevi Sanctuary and Ranthambhore National Park, this village is just at the fringe of this corridor.

Since 3 months, these cubs were going with their mother and used to halt in the area... These tigers were frequently visiting this Ravenous area.. . One side is Vindhya range and other side is a river flowing..



Forest Department has accepted that it is a poisoning case.


Map of the corridor area between Ranthambhore National Park and Keladevi Sanctuary showing Talda Khet Village


Fateh Singh Rathore’s Questions to the authority –

1) The two sub adult tigers were visiting that area since 1 ½ months did they improve monitoring?

In my understanding – Lakshmi Pandit, forest guard - was the only one monitoring that area.

2) Did they have dialogue with the resident villagers?

3) Did they leave a monitoring vehicle in that area?

In my understanding – All the monitoring vehicles are busy in tourism or getting vegetables in the houses of the officials.

4) Why was this small but significant village not on their relocation priority, when they are spending 30 crore rupees on a lesser significant village – Hindwad,

In my understanding – they have no ground plan as to how they have to shape Ranthambhore’s future.

5) There is tremendous construction inside the Ranthambhore National Park and the tigers are disturbed and forced to move out, has the department understood this and done something about it?

6) If they were going in an area which does not have a prey base - there are no spotted deer and no sāmbhar deer’s, how many domestic animals did they kill and how many of the villagers got a cattle compensation?

If they do not answer the first 5 questions – but answer, just the last question that I ask - the truth will reveal...

The unacceptable thing in this incident is that the people who are appointed for the monitoring of tigers are busy with tourism and other jobs.. .


Who are the culprit - The village has 5 brothers - Hari Gujjar, Ramcharan Gujjar, Mangilal Gujjar, Kedar Gujjar and Surjan Gujjar. Ramcharan has been arrested. The goats belonged to Mangilal Gujjar and Surjan Gujjar while 2 sons of Surjan are arrested.

Photo courtesy: Giriraj Sharma (ETV)