In Rajasthan, tourist, guide fined Rs 51,000 for throwing stones at tiger

JAIPUR: A tourist and his guide were jointly fined 51,000 for allegedly pelting stones at a sleeping tiger in Ranthambore Tiger Reserve (RTR) in a bid to get the perfect "action shot" on Tuesday.

At Pilighat Gate of zone-6, the tourist and his guide spotted the sleeping tiger. "While the tourist remained seated in the gypsy with a camera, the guide stepped down and pelted stones on the tiger to make it move," said a forester.

The cruelty was captured in thermal-imaging cameras used to monitor big cats in the park. "After the tourist and the guide were found violating the tiger reserve rules, we asked them to immediately leave the park and imposed a penalty of 51,000, jointly on them," said divisional forest officer Mukesh Saini.

The forest department cancelled the tourist's full-day safari booking besides barring the guide for entering the park for safaris in the future.