Jaipur: The forest administration at Ranthambore Tiger Reserve (RTR) has directed that the weekly temple circumambulation (parikrama) scheduled for Thursday be suspended after a tigress accompanied by her cubs was repeatedly sighted along the pilgrimage route.In an advisory issued to devotees and the general public, DFO Manas Singh said the tigress has been continuously moving along the parikrama route with her cubs. “The decision was taken to avoid any potential conflict between humans and wildlife and to ensure that the animals are not disturbed during their movement through the area,” he said.A forest official said the presence of a tigress with cubs requires additional caution from forest authorities, as mothers are known to be highly protective of their young.Last year, for the first time in Ranthambore National Park, a tigress named Kankati killed a seven-year-old child who had accompanied his grandmother to a temple.Forest officials said the decision was taken to avoid any such untoward incident.The reserve, which is home to nearly 77 tigers, also contains around 352 religious sites that receive approximately 22 lakh devotees annually. According to a study covering 615.5 sq km of critical tiger habitat, about 1.8 lakh vehicles entered the Ranthambore division to access these religious sites.The study, which covered the Range of Project Tiger (ROPT), Kundera, Talda, Khandar and Phalodi ranges, found that vehicle movement caused habitat disturbance and potentially increased the likelihood of human-wildlife encounters in the absence of effective intervention. It is projected that pilgrimage activities in Ranthambore Tiger Reserve are expected to increase by 5%-10% annually.