Lured by bait, unfazed by humans: How a Ranthambhore tiger turned deadly

A forest ranger was mauled to death by a tiger in the Ranthambore Tiger Reserve in Rajasthan's Sawaimadhopur district on Sunday, an official said.

The incident occurred in zone number three of the park where ranger Devendra Chaudhary was attacked while he was on duty near the Jogi Mahal area.

On May 11, forest ranger Devendra Singh Choudhury got out of a vehicle near the main gate of Jogi Mahal and took a few steps towards Yagnashala, the structure currently under renovation, where, in full view of tourists, workers, and his colleagues, he was fatally mauled by a tigress accompanied by a male.

The tiger Kankati was able to claim a second human life within a time frame of less than a month.

As per a report in The Indian Express, it all began in 2023 when Arrowhead, a famous tigress of Ranthambore in Rajasthan, had become more than eight years of age and had lost her prime lake territory to her daughter, Riddhi. It was seen limping in the nearby Nalghati area, suffering from a hip bone deformity. Despite her handicap, the tigress gave birth to her fourth litter, consisting of two females and one male. Fearing that she may not hunt and feed her cubs, the forest department began providing Arrowhead with live buffalo baits in August 2023. 

At nearly the same time, Riddhi also birthed three cubs, two females and one male. Soon Riddhi, her cubs, and the dominant male T-120 all began opportunistically feeding on the baits meant for Arrowhead. Another tigress, T-107 (Sultana), gave birth to three cubs shortly thereafter and began frequenting the same zone. With two other adult tigers, T-105 (Noor) and T-101 (male), there were 15 tigers in an area that's roughly 5 sq km close to Jogi Mahal gate, the entrance to the tourist circuits towards Padam Talao, Rajbagh, and Malik Talao.  

By the end of 2024, nine among them, six since their birth, were habituated to live baits, conditioned by getting buffalo calves as bait for almost two years.

An experienced chronicler on safari recounted multiple instances of tigers crouching near undergrowth by the road, drawn to a cell where water buffaloes were kept. Alarmed, he warned the forest staff that luring the tigers close to humans could have devastating consequences.

The warning was foretelling. Kankati, one of the three offspring of Arrowhead, became particularly audacious. Alongside the others, she began to frequent the busy Ranthambhore road, getting ominously close to the safari crowd, tourists visiting the fort, and pilgrims on their way to the Ganesh temple. The publication reported that the first incident on record happened April 13, 2025, when Kankati attacked forest guard Babu just outside the Jogi Mahal. Protecting himself, he shouted at the tigress, making her retreat and only suffering a scratch on his arm.

Three days later on April 16, tragedy struck as at least 50 people witnessed Kankati snatching away seven-year-old Kartik Suman, who was walking hand-in-hand with his grandmother in broad daylight. The event shocked the community, yet it failed to stir immediate action.

Field Director K. R. Anoop confirmed the identity of Kankati as the tigress responsible for both fatal attacks. The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) regulations stipulate that In the aftermath of two intentional attacks on humans, a tiger is to be located and moved away from the wild. But, no move has yet been made. NTCA member secretary Govind Sagar Bhardwaj, as per IE, said that while accepted as procedure, an official report had not yet been received.

Chief Wildlife Warden (CWLW) of Rajasthan, Shikha Mehra, is yet to comment on the issue, while department sources stated that it is currently an issue under consideration at the level of the Secretary.

After the first death had taken place, the reserve officials had reportedly recommended moving Kankati to an enclosure. Instead, the order from Jaipur was to control human movement and set off firecrackers to drive the tiger away -- an ad hoc response to the crisis.

According to local sources, Kankati and her siblings often behaved aggressively, wandering about outside the park boundaries quite fearlessly. Just days before the second fatal assault, Kankati caused panic by climbing a wall on the main road. She had entered a hotel and had to be rescued. 

A forest guard captured the feeling on the ground: “They followed the vehicle that brought in live bait and then began following random vehicles, expecting food. They stalk the bait room and no longer fear us. We don’t feel safe on foot anymore.”

The experts said that the situation was a direct consequence of poor wildlife management. “By offering medical care, food, and creating water sources, we artificially increased the tiger population and made them accustomed to humans,” claimed Dharmendra Khandal of TigerWatch. “Arrowhead’s grown-up cubs may pose even greater problems in the future, as they are no longer hunters. They are becoming semi-domesticated animals waiting to be fed.”

Veteran conservationist Valmik Thapar was blunt: “A tiger that kills a human must be relocated. Protecting tigers cannot come at the cost of human lives. Some turn into killers and must be isolated, just like humans who kill. That’s the only way man and tiger can coexist.”

What began as a kind gesture to assist a disabled tigress has now become a deadly situation.

(With PTI inputs)