After tigers killed his dad, teen son emerges breadwinner

Grief struck 19-year-old Devaraj seems to have immediately stepped into the shoes of his father Anjaneya N (Anji N), who was killed by two tigers at Bannerghatta Biological Park (BBP) on Saturday.

Devaraj who was seen wandering around Bannergahtta zoo and interacting with staffers jovially till Saturday afternoon, was on Sunday trying to understand the nuances of the job he will have to start from Monday at BBP as a security guard. “My father was everything to us. He was the sole breadwinner. No money or job security can bring him back. Now, I am told that I will be given his job in the zoo,” said an inconsolable Devaraj. The highschool dropout used to do odd jobs around the zoo area.

He was not only consoling himself but also his ailing and shocked grandfather Navaneyya (68), mother Akkamadevamma and grandmother Tayamma. His 11-year-old brother Dharma is still unable to understand why his family members are crying. Holding onto his crying mother, Dharma was frequently asking about his father.

“I have not yet seen my father’s face. I was told that the tiger bit him on his neck. I always wanted to take the blessings of my father before starting work, now all that I want is to see his face,” Devaraj said.

Victoria Hospital officials and the police handed over Anji’s body to his family members on Sunday evening after the postmortem. The family conducted the last rites in Ramanagaram. Anji was earlier working as a gatekeeper and security guard in BBP. He was shifted as cleaner in the zoo area in September and towards the animal enclosure on October 1. He was on contract drawing a gross salary of Rs 10,906 per month. His salary depended on the number of days he would report to duty. He was deployed at BBP by Yes 24 Guarding and Facility Solutions Private Limited.