The patrolling staff at Gopalanna Hall of Maddur range in Bandipur forest on Sunday found the carcass of a 11-year-old tiger that had been shot dead.

According to reports, the male tiger is suspected to have been shot dead on Friday night or Saturday morning.

Shiva Kumar of The New Indian Express reports that the assailants were trying to hunt down deer and other wild animals, when they opened fire at the sight of the tiger.

The authorities, however, could not find the bullet, that had broken the tiger’s vertebral column. A case has been lodged at Gundlupet police station. 

The Hindu quotes Naveen Kumar, honorary wildlife warden as saying that the tiger fell into the trench the poachers had made and dragged itself for a distance before collapsing in a puddle of water.

“There is evidence that the poachers had made a small hideout near the trench, and may have been waiting for a deer or other herbivore, some of which are hunted illegally for meat,” said Mr. Kumar.