An eight-year-old tiger was found dead at the Gundre Range of the Bandipur National Park.
According to reports, the animal was found by patrolling forest officials, who informed the Forest Range Officer. The national park’s Director and Conservator, Hiralal told The Deccan Herald that the male tiger’s paws and jaws had been removed.
The Hindu reported that the tiger was aged around eight or nine years, and the carcass showed no external injuries to indicate territorial infighting with another dominant male.
Forest officials suspect that the tiger was poisoned by poachers, as the carcass of a calf was found six metres from the tiger's body. However, TOI reported, forest officials could not get samples of the dead calf.
The veterinarian, who conducted the postmortem on Monday, said that viscera samples had been taken and sent to the Forensic Science Laboratory in Mysuru, and added that poisoning could only be confirmed after forensic examination, The Hindu’s report stated.
After the post-mortem, documented as per the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) norms, the carcass was set ablaze in the presence of senior Forest Department officials.
This is not the first time that such animal deaths are being recorded in the state in recent times.
Earlier in the month, the decomposed carcasses of two tigers were found in the Umblebylu area of Bhadravati division earlier in December. The tiger’s head and limbs were cut off.
Some months ago, a black panther and two leopards were found dead in the Bandipur reserve, and a probe indicated they had died from toxic food, the TOI report said.
Three years ago, a tiger was poisoned inside the forest for its body parts. And at least two tigers were poisoned to death in Nagarahole reserve in the same year, the report added.