'Tiger man’ Fateh Singh passed away

Fateh Singh Rathore, one of the pioneers of tiger conservation in India, breathed his last at his residence in Sawai Madhopur on Tuesday. He was 72. A former field director of Ranthambore National Park, the ‘tiger man’ was suffering from lung cancer that had spread on to the bones. On Tuesday morning he developed some complications and breathed his last at around 10.25 am. Well-known for his passion for the big cat, his name was synonymous with Project Tiger. “It was in January that doctors diagnosed him with bone cancer. Since then we have been treating him at various hospitals. He was recently admitted to the hospital in Jaipur for treatment. But about a week back, realising that he will not live longer, Fatehji expressed his desire to spend his last days among the hills and forests in Ranthambore and so he was brought back here,” a close aide said.
Fateh Singh is survived by his wife, son Goverdhan Singh Rathore and two daughters — Padmini and Jaya. After retiring from the forest department, he had been heading an NGO — Tiger Watch — at Sawai Madhopur to continue with his bit for the protection of tigers.