ALWAR/JAIPUR: A male tiger, T-2402, ventured out of Sariska Tiger Reserve (STR) and seriously injured three persons in Mahu Khurd village of Bandikui tehsil, Alwar district, Wednesday. The attack occurred approximately 60km from the reserve.
The young tiger — offspring of ST-14 and aged about 2.1 years — previously resided in Sukola area of Akbarpur range. Around 7.30am, Uma Mahawar (47) was working at a farm when she heard noises from bushes close to Koli Mohalla. “When Mahawar approached the bushes, the tiger sprang out of the foliage and attacked her before she could comprehend the situation. Her screams drew the attention of Vinod Meena (42) and Babulal Meena (48), who tried to rescue her with sticks. However, the tiger attacked them as well, leaving all three seriously injured,” sarpanch Pushpendra Sharma said.
The trio received initial treatment at a Dausa hospital before being transferred to SMS Hospital, Jaipur. “A tiger from Alwar’s Sariska reserve ventured about 30km to Devti Ka Bas, Pradhano Ka Gawada village near Reni, Tuesday night. After noticing the tiger, the dogs started barking. Some villagers climbed onto rooftops and recorded videos of the tiger. Later, it moved further ahead and reached Mahu Khurd village in Dausa,” a forest official said.
Despite the presence of a rescue team, tranquillisation efforts were unsuccessful until Wednesday evening. The tiger emerged from a mustard field at 3.45pm, heading towards Palasan river. Forest department teams from Sariska, Jaipur, and Ranthambore pursued it in two vehicles but failed to dart it.
The tiger attacked their vehicles. Officials cordoned off the area after spotting the tiger in a mustard field near Mahu Khurd village. “Attempts are ongoing to rescue the tiger and take it back to Sariska,” said an official, adding that the tiger has been roaming in the fields for nearly seven hours.
A crowd of villagers gathered and with darkness approaching, the search was stopped. This represents the fourth tiger straying from STR in two years, with three occurrences in the past six months. The frequent straying from Rajasthan’s reserves are linked to human interference, including grazing activities and habitat encroachment.
Sunil Mehta, former state wildlife board member, said, “No work is being done to eradicate the root causes. These signs should be understood before it is too late. Humans are living inside the reserve and their cattle have encroached on critical tiger habitats, creating disturbances. This must be controlled.”
Sariska Tiger Foundation’s Dinesh Durani said, “The reserve is not small and can accommodate the existing population. Villages need to be shifted on an urgent basis. If there were no disturbances, these tigers that moved out would have established their territories within the reserve.”
