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A radio-collared adult tiger has been found dead with a broken skull in the core area of the Rani Durgavati Tiger Reserve (RDTR) in Sagar district, taking the death toll of the big cats in Madhya Pradesh to ten since January 1.
MP Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (Wildlife) L Krishnamoorthy told PTI that the latest fatality was a fallout of a territorial fight between two tigers. This is the tenth death of a tiger this year, he added.
The APCCF said that the tiger was around two-and-a-half years old. He was re-wilded after orphaned in the Kanha Tiger Reserve and relocated to the RDTR last month.
Sagar Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Rajnish Kumar Singh told PTI Videos that pugmarks of another tiger have been found around the spot.
“One nail of the deceased big cat was found broken, while other nails too bore scratches. The tiger’s skull was broken entirely with canine marks. A deep canine injury was found in its eye as well,” he said.
Singh said the carcass was recovered on Sunday evening from the core area of the Manegaon beat under the Mohli range.
He said the postmortem of the big cat was conducted as per the guidelines of the National Tiger Conservation Authority of India (NTCA).
Meanwhile, wildlife activist Ajay Dubey has written to NTCA’s member secretary, the MP Chief Secretary and the State Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, alleging gross negligence by the forest department.
