Jaipur, March 16: Forest guards in the Ranthambore Tiger Reserve were suddenly confronted by a tiger on Monday morning. The guards were on a routine patrolling on a motorbike with just sticks in their hands, and it was quite a narrow escape for both of them as they somehow managed to abandon their bikes and flee.
Tiger encounter during routine patrol
The incident happened in the Gada Doob forest area near the Sultanpur checkpoint in the ROPT range of the Ranthambore Tiger Reserve at around 9:30 am on Monday.
DFO Mansingh said that forest worker Niranjan and home guard Jitendra Sharma were on routine patrolling on a motorbike in the forest. There was a climb up a bend, and the tiger (RBT-2511) was already sitting there.
As soon as the bike arrived, the tiger and the forest guards came across each other. The tiger growled at both, and seeing this, they quickly abandoned their bikes and ran away, stopping a short distance away.
Tiger drags bike, damages seat
The tiger came near the bike and remained there for about 10 minutes, grabbing and dragging it and tearing the seat as well. The forest guards were left breathless during this time. After about 10 minutes, the tiger went up the hill. In the meantime, a tourist jeep arrived and picked up the staff.
Concerns raised over safety of forest personnel
The incident flagged serious concerns about the security equipment given to the forest workers, as both were patrolling on a motorbike with just sticks in their hands.
Experts said that tigers in areas designated as critical tiger habitats often exhibit aggressive behaviour, and to prevent such incidents, the department should at least provide four-wheelers to the forest personnel.
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Notably, a ranger was killed in a tiger attack 10 months ago in Zone No. 3 of the Ranthambore Tiger Reserve when a tiger attacked Ranger Devendra Chaudhary's neck with its teeth and claws. The tiger sat near the ranger's body for 20 minutes.
