It doesn't take much to exterminate a tiger: you can trap it in a Rs 450 steel trap, poison its kill for just under Rs 50, electrocute it or shoot it. Lots of people will pay upto Rs 15,400 for a bowl of ardour-boosting tiger penis soup or a broth of tiger bones to ease rheumatism. Tiger skins make wall-hangings; tiger musk glands and blood find their way into various balms. The ban on the tiger parts trade is a poor deterrent to poachers salivating at an estimated potential market of 100 million users.
So, how many tigers are left in this lovely park? Hoteliers and forest officials will tell you 32 to 34. Fateh Singh Rathore will tell you so himself. The man widely referred to simply as Fatehji is legendary for his work in Ranthambhore, particularly his success in persuading the population of 16 villages to relocate outside the park.
But a reliable source says that the tigers of Ranthambhore may be under serious threat again. After a census in December 2001, park officials reportedly cannot account for seven or eight animals. Forest officials are careful to stress the happy fact that seven cubs were recently born to two tigresses.