Tiger mauls temple caretaker to death in Ranthambore Fort

A File image of Ranthambore Fort | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

A tiger mauled to death a 60-year-old caretaker of the Jain Temple situated in the historic Ranthambore Fort, forming part of the National Park, in Rajasthan’s Sawai Madhopur district on Monday (June 9, 2025). This was the third death in a tiger attack in the wildlife reserve in the past two months.

The deceased, Radheyshyam Saini, had gone out for his morning routine, equipped with a lathi and a torch, when the tiger attacked him. Other watchmen and employees at the fort heard his cries from the forest and rushed to the spot, but they could not locate him.

Mr. Saini’s body was later found in the bushes, about 40 metres away, during a search conducted by the forest officials and policemen. The tiger appeared to have grabbed him by the neck and dragged him into the forest. The victim’s thigh was also found mutilated.

Ranthambore National Park’s Field Director Anoop K.R. said it was yet to be confirmed which tiger had attacked the temple caretaker. Mr. Saini’s body was shifted to the mortuary at the district hospital in Sawai Madhopur for post-mortem.

A forest ranger, Devendra Chaudhary, was killed in a tiger attack on May 11, while a seven-year-old boy, Kartik Suman, was mauled to death near Trinetra Ganesh temple on April 16. A tiger suspected to be involved in both these incidents was later tranquilised and shifted to another enclosure in the National Park.

Agitated by the tiger’s attack on Monday (June 9, 2025), a crowd of local people gathered outside the National Park’s entry point, Ganesh Dham, and staged a dharna. The locals also blocked the Sawai Madhopur-Kundera road, while accusing the Forest Department of negligence and demanding compensation for the bereaved family.

The Forest Department had issued an advisory on Sunday (June 8, 2025), restricting the entry of people into the fort following an increase in tiger movement in the region. The temples situated inside the fort attract a large number of devotees.

Published - June 09, 2025 09:31 pm IST