According to the Hindustan Times on March 5, on Wednesday morning, a female rhino named “Rajeshwari” was killed by a tiger in the rhino rehabilitation zone within the southern Sonaripur range of Dudhwa Tiger Reserve.
At the time, the rhino was wallowing in a pond when the tiger seized the opportunity to attack, killing the animal.
According to wildlife experts, in Dudhwa, due to the rhino's large size and thick skin, they are not ideal prey for tigers. Incidents of tigers attacking rhinos are extremely rare.
In the past few years, there have been no reported incidents of tigers attacking rhinos within Dudhwa Reserve.
In 2023, a two-year-old rhino calf was killed by a leopard.
Dr. Rajmohan, the field director of Dudhwa Tiger Reserve, stated that on Wednesday morning, a monitoring team was patrolling the area on elephants and witnessed the tiger attacking the rhino in the pond.
The monitoring team drove the tiger away, approached to check, and confirmed that the rhino was the female “Rajeshwari.”
He said the rhino was about 30 years old. Dr. Rajmohan ordered the formation of a team to conduct an autopsy on the rhino, and the results confirmed the cause of death was a tiger attack.
Reportedly, an adult Indian rhinoceros can weigh 2-3 tons, have skin as thick as 2-5 centimeters, and possess sharp horns and lower canine teeth. They are highly aggressive and fast. It is very difficult for a single tiger (usually 150-250kg) to take them head-on; typically, only if the rhino is in an extremely vulnerable state (such as old age, weakness, or injury) can a tiger succeed.
Tigers are more likely to prey on rhino calves or subadults, as these are easier to overpower. The risk with adult rhinos is too high, with a high probability of injury or death for the tiger.
According to wildlife experts, in Dudhwa, due to the rhino's large size and thick skin, they are not ideal prey for tigers. Incidents of tigers attacking rhinos are extremely rare.
In the past few years, there have been no reported incidents of tigers attacking rhinos within Dudhwa Reserve.
In 2023, a two-year-old rhino calf was killed by a leopard.
Dr. Rajmohan, the field director of Dudhwa Tiger Reserve, stated that on Wednesday morning, a monitoring team was patrolling the area on elephants and witnessed the tiger attacking the rhino in the pond.
The monitoring team drove the tiger away, approached to check, and confirmed that the rhino was the female “Rajeshwari.”
He said the rhino was about 30 years old. Dr. Rajmohan ordered the formation of a team to conduct an autopsy on the rhino, and the results confirmed the cause of death was a tiger attack.
Reportedly, an adult Indian rhinoceros can weigh 2-3 tons, have skin as thick as 2-5 centimeters, and possess sharp horns and lower canine teeth. They are highly aggressive and fast. It is very difficult for a single tiger (usually 150-250kg) to take them head-on; typically, only if the rhino is in an extremely vulnerable state (such as old age, weakness, or injury) can a tiger succeed.
Tigers are more likely to prey on rhino calves or subadults, as these are easier to overpower. The risk with adult rhinos is too high, with a high probability of injury or death for the tiger.