By Satish Jacob BBC correspondent in Delhi

One of India's best-known wildlife sanctuaries, Ranthambhor in the western state of Rajasthan, has been overrun by local villagers and their cattle herds.

The park has remained unprotected for the past two days because the forest rangers, outnumbered by the villagers, have fled.

Villagers from the area surrounding the reserve have moved in, looking for fodder for their cows.

Ranthambhor is famous for its tigers. Former US President Clinton, when he visited India three years ago, also saw a tiger at the sanctuary.

'Appalling' situation

The Director of the Ranthambhor national park, GV Reddy, says about 500 villagers with about 3,000 buffaloes and cows are believed to have been camping in the sanctuary for the past two days.

Tigers are often targeted by poachers

He says they have occupied the prime breeding locations used by the park's tigers.

Mr Reddy says the forest rangers, heavily outnumbered by the intruders, fled the forest, leaving the wild animals at the villagers' mercy.

In the past too villagers have occasionally moved into the park to graze their cattle, but an invasion on this scale is unprecedented.

Conservationists are appalled at the situation. They say poachers, who are always looking for opportunities to kill tigers, can easily take advantage of the situation.

Long-term danger

Tiger expert Brigender Singh says there has been a sudden increase in tiger poaching oover the past few years.

He says tiger pelt and body-parts fetch a good price in China and South Korea, where they are used for medicinal purposes.

Local journalists say that a feud has been going on between the authorities and the villagers for many years.

They say forest officials and the police take an inflexible view on guarding the sanctuary, and this angers the villagers.

Not involving villagers in the use of the resources of the park, including fodder for cattle, will probably harm the tiger population in the long run, as this incident shows.