Ranthambore's Maneater Tiger T-104, Blamed For Three Human Deaths To Be Caged For Life
Forest Authorities in Rajasthan have decided to shift a tiger, Aves, officially known as T-104 to a cage in Darrah Range of Mukundra Hills Tiger Reserve where it will be kept for the rest of its life.
The tiger was kept in an enclosure since 2019 when it was captured after the big cat went on a killing spree, claiming three human lives in two months.
Why is T-104 being shifted?
Since its capture in September 2019, T-104 was kept in an enclosure in the Bheed forest region of Ranthambore.
However, since it continues to show aggressive behaviour, towards other male tigers coming within its enclosure, the authorities are planning to shift it to another range.
According to The Times of India, the chief wildlife warden has written to the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) to shift T-104 to an enclosure in Darrah range, which is off tourist limits.
How T-104 became a threat to humans
Born in 2016, to tigress T-41 Laila and T-64 Akash, T-104 made its first human kill in August 2019, followed by one more in the same month and another in September.
All three human kills were reported in Karauli district, after which T-104 was declared as ¡®dangerous to human life¡¯ and was captured.
It is still unclear how T-104, which was young and healthy became a maneater.
It is believed that being pushed out of its territory could have resulted in the tiger attacking humans, in search of easier prey.
RTRs growing tiger problem
Ranthambore Tiger Reserve which spans over 1,334 square kilometres has at least 86 big cats, which experts say is too high for its area.
On average a tiger controls an area of over 20sqkms and is fiercely protective of its territory.
RTR is the third most congested national park in India after Corbett and Kaziranga and is fast running out of space for its growing population of tigers.
This has resulted in fights for territory, including between siblings, with sometimes deadly consequences.
Tigers being pushed out of their territories straying into the peripheries of the forest and close to human settlements are on the rise in RTR, resulting in an increase in human-animal conflict.
RTR wants to relocate tigers
Last month Rajasthan forest department had sought guidance from NTCA to relocate a tigress of Ranthambore to a newly sanctioned Ramgarh Tiger Reserve near Bundi, which was notified in May.
Ramgarh Vishdhari Sanctuary is located between Ranthambore and Mukundra Hills, in an area that is an important tiger corridor.
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