Tragedy at Ranthambore: Seven-Year-Old Boy Mauled to Death by Tiger Near Trinetra Ganesh Temple
In a heartbreaking incident that unfolded in Rajasthan’s Ranthambore National Park area, a seven-year-old boy lost his life after being attacked and killed by a tiger on Wednesday afternoon.
The tragic event took place near the Trinetra Ganesh temple, a popular pilgrimage site located deep within the forested landscape of the Ranthambore Tiger Reserve.
According to the local police, the shocking attack occurred sometime between 2:30 pm and 3:00 pm, just as the boy was returning from the temple premises after offering prayers.
The child, identified as a native of Bundi district, had accompanied his grandmother and uncle to the temple earlier in the day for a routine religious visit.
Bharat Singh, the Station House Officer (SHO) of Kundera police station in Sawai Madhopur district, confirmed the sequence of events.
He stated, “The boy was walking back from the Trinetra Ganesh temple with his family when, according to eyewitness accounts, a tiger suddenly emerged from the dense forest.
Before anyone could react, the animal swiftly pounced on the child, grabbed him in its jaws, and disappeared back into the jungle.”
Ramsingh Gurjar, one of the eyewitnesses present at the scene, described the harrowing moment. “We had just finished offering prayers and were heading back when the tiger appeared out of nowhere.
It moved incredibly fast — before anyone could shout or intervene, the tiger had seized the boy and vanished into the forest,” he recounted, still visibly shaken by the experience.
The horrifying news spread quickly through the area, prompting residents and visitors to alert both the forest department and the police.
Responding swiftly, forest rangers and wildlife officials rushed to the location and immediately cordoned off the temple vicinity, closing all pathways leading in and out of the area to prevent any further human-wildlife encounters.
Forest officials believe the tiger kept the child in its possession for a considerable period before authorities, with the help of the local community, managed to locate the animal and eventually drive it away.
Once the tiger retreated, the child’s lifeless body was recovered from the site. The remains were transported to the district hospital mortuary, where a postmortem examination was conducted.
Following the autopsy, the boy’s body was handed over to the grieving family for last rites.
SHO Bharat Singh also confirmed that the bereaved family would be provided with financial compensation in line with the government’s established guidelines for human-wildlife conflict cases.
This tragic incident has once again brought attention to the growing challenges of human-wildlife coexistence in and around protected areas like Ranthambore, where the boundaries between forest zones and human activity often blur, especially near religious or tourist spots.
Forest officials are expected to conduct a thorough inquiry into the circumstances leading up to the attack and assess whether additional safety measures or restrictions will be necessary in the temple’s surroundings to prevent such incidents in the future.
As the community mourns the loss of the young boy, wildlife experts and conservationists are also urging a renewed focus on educating visitors about the potential dangers of venturing deep into tiger habitats without adequate caution or supervision.
