WHITE TIGER CUBS MAUL KEEPER TO DEATH

BENGALURU: Two white tiger cubs have mauled their keeper to death at a wildlife national park here, an official said on Sunday.

Anji, 40, was killed late on Saturday at Bannerghatta Biological Park on the outskirts of Bengaluru when the two cubs attacked him as he herded them into their enclosure, park chief Santosh Kumar said.

“The victim was assisting the caretaker in pushing the cats into their enclosure for the night when they turned around and pounced on him as one of the four gates was not shut and latched by then,” Kumar said.

The tigers were eventually driven off by park staff but the victim was already dead.

“The felines did not allow the caretaker to retrieve Anji’s body from the spot and were guarding it, which delayed in rushing him to a nearby hospital,” Kumar said.

Anji, who goes by one name, was a daily wage worker and was hired by the national park earlier this month to fill in for a staff member.

Angry relatives protested outside the park on Sunday and demanded Rs 500,000 compensation from authorities, accusing them of negligence.

Two years ago a keeper was injured by lions in the park, according to the Press Trust of India, quoting Kumar.

The 1,346-acre Bannerghatta National Park houses 1,941 animals including Bengal tigers, lions and leopards, according to its website.

White tigers, regarded as an endangered species, are found in southern and eastern Asia, particularly India, and owe their colour to a recessive gene.