Fifty-year-old Indian farmer Ram Kalyan Saini was travelling home from work one April evening in Rajasthan when he and his two pillion passengers were knocked off his motorcycle.
The farmer briefly blacked out. When he came to, he was lying in a pool of blood in excruciating pain and could hear his passengers mumbling in terror.
“Look at that yellow-black thing”, Mr Saini recalls them saying. It was a tiger lurking nearby with her cubs.
The wildcat had torn off Mr Saini’s left arm and clawed his face. The other two men suffered minor injuries.
“I was shocked. It must have thought that I was dead and was waiting to devour me,” he said.
One of the men called for help from a mobile phone and the three waited for 15 minutes until forestry staff arrived.
“I can only say that I am fortunate. It is only because of God that I am alive,” he said.
It was the second time Mr Saini had been attacked by a tiger. The first attack, three years earlier, occurred nearby, about three kilometres away from the boundary wall of the Ranthambore National Park — one of India’s biggest tiger reserves.
Mr Saini is one of scores of people to be attacked by tigers near the park.
The forest department said in a 2020 report that 12 people were attacked by tigers in Sawai Modhapur District from 2018 to 2020, while at least seven people have been killed in attacks since 2018.
It also found that young tigers aged two or three were more aggressive as they were unable to establish territory.
The 932-square-kilometre area of deciduous forests and open grass meadows in western Rajasthan has more than 80 tigers — the most in its 42-year history.
“The animals are increasingly straying into villages now. The fear of tigers is palpable,” Mr Saini said.
Not everyone is fortunate enough to survive two attacks.
Jamuna Devi, 45, from Kundera village, had gone into a field to relieve herself — a common practice in rural India where toilets are scarce — early on a winter morning in February 2019.
A tiger attacked her, dragged her six metres away and mauled her to death, possible believing she was cattle.
“Her body was torn into several pieces. It was headless. I couldn’t even recognise her,” Rajesh Kumar Yogi, her son, told The National.
The 30-year-old shopkeeper said in the past decade “more and more tigers are attacking humans”.
“It is mainly because of the excess tiger population that the animals are straying into villages and they have no fear of humans any more,” Mr Yogi said.
Wildlife experts agree.
The park has a capacity to host 50 tigers — a limit it exceeded almost a decade ago, leading to tiger-human conflicts as well as territorial fights among the cats.
Ullas Karanth, a conservation zoologist based in Bengaluru, said protected tiger populations combined with an abundant prey base naturally produce surplus tigers periodically.
“And there are either old, infirm animals or sub-adults which are being pushed out by stronger resident tigers on account of territorial behaviour,” Mr Karanth told The National.
The number of tigers and their cubs in Ranthambore increased dramatically from 66 to 81 between 2019 and 2021, according to government data.
Conservation success
Ranthambore's rising population is a part of the remarkable success of India's programme to conserve tigers — the tiger is the national animal and a protected species in the country.
Since it launched Project Tiger in 1973, India has created 52 dedicated reserves and increased the population in the wild from fewer than 2,000 to nearly 3,000 — two thirds of the world's total — and aims to increase that to 4,000 by 2030.
But the conservation effort has backfired in places where the tiger population has grown too large for the area available.
Tigers are solitary creatures, with an adult requiring up to 150 square kilometres of territory to roam.
The competition for space and prey has forced many tigers to venture out of the park into human habitations to hunt livestock and — at times — humans.
More than 100 people were killed in tiger attacks in India between 2019 and 2021, according to official figures.
Authorities in western Maharashtra on Thursday captured a “man-eater” tiger that was thought to have killed 13 people in last 10 months, and officials shot dead a tiger last week that had killed nine people in Bihar state.
'Why are people dying?'
Despite the rising number of attacks, forest officials say numbers are lower than in states such as Madhya Pradesh, where 17 incidents of tigers attacking humans were reported in 2020 alone.
“There are not many cases … these are few accidents. We are trying to move the tigers to other reserves and also sensitise locals,” Seduram Yadav, Chief Conservator of Forests in Ranthambore, told The National.
But Laddoo Lal Singh, 72, who lost his 21-year-old son in a tiger attack 12 years ago, rejects the official claim.
“Nothing has changed all these years. I don’t think the government is making real efforts to curb such incidents, otherwise, why are people dying?” he said.
Mr Singh accused the government of prioritising tigers over humans because they are a big tourist attraction and generate billions of rupees each year.
Nearly half a million tourists visit the park every year. According to an official report, the government earned more than 200 million rupees ($2.4m) from park fees in 2019 while the park generated 2.20 billion rupees for the local economy in 2018.
Dr Rajesh Gopal, Secretary General of the inter-governmental Global Tiger Forum, told The National: “We have to actively pick up the young ones who are about to leave natal areas and translocate them to protected areas.”
Types of policy
Term life insurance: this is the cheapest and most-popular form of life cover. You pay a regular monthly premium for a pre-agreed period, typically anything between five and 25 years, or possibly longer. If you die within that time, the policy will pay a cash lump sum, which is typically tax-free even outside the UAE. If you die after the policy ends, you do not get anything in return. There is no cash-in value at any time. Once you stop paying premiums, cover stops.
Whole-of-life insurance: as its name suggests, this type of life cover is designed to run for the rest of your life. You pay regular monthly premiums and in return, get a guaranteed cash lump sum whenever you die. As a result, premiums are typically much higher than one term life insurance, although they do not usually increase with age. In some cases, you have to keep up premiums for as long as you live, although there may be a cut-off period, say, at age 80 but it can go as high as 95. There are penalties if you don’t last the course and you may get a lot less than you paid in.
Critical illness cover: this pays a cash lump sum if you suffer from a serious illness such as cancer, heart disease or stroke. Some policies cover as many as 50 different illnesses, although cancer triggers by far the most claims. The payout is designed to cover major financial responsibilities such as a mortgage or children’s education fees if you fall ill and are unable to work. It is cost effective to combine it with life insurance, with the policy paying out once if you either die or suffer a serious illness.
Income protection: this pays a replacement income if you fall ill and are unable to continue working. On the best policies, this will continue either until you recover, or reach retirement age. Unlike critical illness cover, policies will typically pay out for stress and musculoskeletal problems such as back trouble.
AIDA%20RETURNS
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The specs
Engine: 8.0-litre, quad-turbo 16-cylinder
Transmission: 7-speed auto
0-100kmh 2.3 seconds
0-200kmh 5.5 seconds
0-300kmh 11.6 seconds
Power: 1500hp
Torque: 1600Nm
Price: Dh13,400,000
On sale: now
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo
Power: 240hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 390Nm at 3,000rpm
Transmission: eight-speed auto
Price: from Dh122,745
On sale: now
Karwaan
Producer: Ronnie Screwvala
Director: Akarsh Khurana
Starring: Irrfan Khan, Dulquer Salmaan, Mithila Palkar
Rating: 4/5
Match info:
Portugal 1
Ronaldo (4')
Morocco 0
Company%20Profile
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PROFILE OF HALAN
Started: November 2017
Founders: Mounir Nakhla, Ahmed Mohsen and Mohamed Aboulnaga
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport and logistics
Size: 150 employees
Investment: approximately $8 million
Investors include: Singapore’s Battery Road Digital Holdings, Egypt’s Algebra Ventures, Uber co-founder and former CTO Oscar Salazar
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The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
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How Apple's credit card works
The Apple Card looks different from a traditional credit card — there's no number on the front and the users' name is etched in metal. The card expands the company's digital Apple Pay services, marrying the physical card to a virtual one and integrating both with the iPhone. Its attributes include quick sign-up, elimination of most fees, strong security protections and cash back.
What does it cost?
Apple says there are no fees associated with the card. That means no late fee, no annual fee, no international fee and no over-the-limit fees. It also said it aims to have among the lowest interest rates in the industry. Users must have an iPhone to use the card, which comes at a cost. But they will earn cash back on their purchases — 3 per cent on Apple purchases, 2 per cent on those with the virtual card and 1 per cent with the physical card. Apple says it is the only card to provide those rewards in real time, so that cash earned can be used immediately.
What will the interest rate be?
The card doesn't come out until summer but Apple has said that as of March, the variable annual percentage rate on the card could be anywhere from 13.24 per cent to 24.24 per cent based on creditworthiness. That's in line with the rest of the market, according to analysts
What about security?
The physical card has no numbers so purchases are made with the embedded chip and the digital version lives in your Apple Wallet on your phone, where it's protected by fingerprints or facial recognition. That means that even if someone steals your phone, they won't be able to use the card to buy things.
Is it easy to use?
Apple says users will be able to sign up for the card in the Wallet app on their iPhone and begin using it almost immediately. It also tracks spending on the phone in a more user-friendly format, eliminating some of the gibberish that fills a traditional credit card statement. Plus it includes some budgeting tools, such as tracking spending and providing estimates of how much interest could be charged on a purchase to help people make an informed decision.
* Associated Press
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Company profile
Date started: December 24, 2018
Founders: Omer Gurel, chief executive and co-founder and Edebali Sener, co-founder and chief technology officer
Based: Dubai Media City
Number of employees: 42 (34 in Dubai and a tech team of eight in Ankara, Turkey)
Sector: ConsumerTech and FinTech
Cashflow: Almost $1 million a year
Funding: Series A funding of $2.5m with Series B plans for May 2020
What is cyberbullying?
Cyberbullying or online bullying could take many forms such as sending unkind or rude messages to someone, socially isolating people from groups, sharing embarrassing pictures of them, or spreading rumors about them.
Cyberbullying can take place on various platforms such as messages, on social media, on group chats, or games.
Parents should watch out for behavioural changes in their children.
When children are being bullied they they may be feel embarrassed and isolated, so parents should watch out for signs of signs of depression and anxiety
What drives subscription retailing?
Once the domain of newspaper home deliveries, subscription model retailing has combined with e-commerce to permeate myriad products and services.
The concept has grown tremendously around the world and is forecast to thrive further, according to UnivDatos Market Insights’ report on recent and predicted trends in the sector.
The global subscription e-commerce market was valued at $13.2 billion (Dh48.5bn) in 2018. It is forecast to touch $478.2bn in 2025, and include the entertainment, fitness, food, cosmetics, baby care and fashion sectors.
The report says subscription-based services currently constitute “a small trend within e-commerce”. The US hosts almost 70 per cent of recurring plan firms, including leaders Dollar Shave Club, Hello Fresh and Netflix. Walmart and Sephora are among longer established retailers entering the space.
UnivDatos cites younger and affluent urbanites as prime subscription targets, with women currently the largest share of end-users.
That’s expected to remain unchanged until 2025, when women will represent a $246.6bn market share, owing to increasing numbers of start-ups targeting women.
Personal care and beauty occupy the largest chunk of the worldwide subscription e-commerce market, with changing lifestyles, work schedules, customisation and convenience among the chief future drivers.
Getting there
The flights
Emirates and Etihad fly to Johannesburg or Cape Town daily. Flights cost from about Dh3,325, with a flying time of 8hours and 15 minutes. From there, fly South African Airlines or Air Namibia to Namibia’s Windhoek Hosea Kutako International Airport, for about Dh850. Flying time is 2 hours.
The stay
Wilderness Little Kulala offers stays from £460 (Dh2,135) per person, per night. It is one of seven Wilderness Safari lodges in Namibia; www.wilderness-safaris.com.
Skeleton Coast Safaris’ four-day adventure involves joining a very small group in a private plane, flying to some of the remotest areas in the world, with each night spent at a different camp. It costs from US$8,335.30 (Dh30,611); www.skeletoncoastsafaris.com
What is Genes in Space?
Genes in Space is an annual competition first launched by the UAE Space Agency, The National and Boeing in 2015.
It challenges school pupils to design experiments to be conducted in space and it aims to encourage future talent for the UAE’s fledgling space industry. It is the first of its kind in the UAE and, as well as encouraging talent, it also aims to raise interest and awareness among the general population about space exploration.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Brief scores:
Day 2
England: 277 & 19-0
West Indies: 154
