Ranthambore tiger that killed 3 people to be caged for life | Jaipur News

There have been demands to shift T-104 from the core area of RNP.

JAIPUR: Ranthambore tiger T-104, which was declared “dangerous to human life”, is likely to spend the rest of its life in a cage in Darrah Range of Mukundra Hills Tiger Reserve (MHTR).
After the big cat killed three people, it was captured from Karauli in September 2019 and kept in an enclosure in Bheed forest region of Ranthambore. The forest department is now contemplating to shift it from the core area of Ranthambore. This will be the second male tiger in the state, after T-24 which was also known as Ustad, to be shifted from its original territory and kept in captivity for the rest of its life.
“The chief wildlife warden (CWLW) recently wrote a letter to shift the tiger from Ranthambore National Park (RNP) to an enclosure in Darrah range, which is off tourist limits, after reducing its size. Permission for this will also be sought from National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA),” said a senior forest official.
There have been demands to shift T-104 from the core area of RNP for long as this aggressive male tiger in captivation had confronted other big cats moving in the territory. Sources said the enclosure is constructed at a “faulty location” as it is situated between the natural corridor of Kailadevi Wildlife Sanctuary and Ranthambore Tiger Reserve (RTR). Moreover, it is considered a junction of many tiger territories.
“There were cases of wild tigers, including tiger T-66, sparring with the caged T-104. Both external and caged tigers show aggression. In the process, they could have got injured because of the iron bars of the cage,” said a forest department official.
The forest department staff have also criticised the move to captivate a tiger in the core area for a prolonged period. “Many young tigers from Ranthambore are straying out. For instance, young tiger T-136 has moved close to human settlement near Gangapur city, sparking a possibility of man-animal conflict. As the enclosure is occupied, the department cannot rescue it and bring it to Ranthambore. The department should take timely decision on the matter,” said a forest department official.