A 42-year-old labourer identified as Sugna Devi was killed by a tiger at Jaipur’s Nahargarh Biological Park on Wednesday morning. Devi and other women labourers had entered an enclosure at the park to cut grass when tiger Shivaji’s cage inside the enclosure opened, allowing the tiger to escape and attack her.
Incident Details
Sugna’s sister Kamla recounted the harrowing moment:
“"There were seven of us – three were cutting grass and four of us, including me, were removing it. She was carrying the cut grass on her head and saw that someone had opened the tiger’s cage. She then immediately threw the grass and ran towards us. We took the help of the fence to jump outside the enclosure. We shouted but no one heard us."
While five of the women climbed the fence to escape, one climbed a tree. Sugna attempted to escape by climbing the fence but was pulled down by the tiger, which mauled her to death.
Aftermath and Response
Following the tragic incident, Devi’s family members and relatives protested, demanding compensation. Deputy Conservator of Forests Dr Ashish Vyas stated that the cage was opened by Hansa, the in-charge of the Tiger Enclosure, who has since been suspended for negligence and failure to follow safety protocols.
