Two-year-old tiger found dead in Dudhwa

The young tiger - a male of about two years – was said to be suffering from severe internal ailments leading to his death.

The carcass of an adolescent tiger was found in a sugarcane field under Salempur beat of Mailani range, under the Dudhwa buffer zone, on Friday.

The carcass of a young tiger recovered in Dudhwa buffer zone on Friday. (HT Photo)

The young tiger - a male of about two years – was said to be suffering from severe internal ailments leading to his death.

B Prabhakar, field director, Dudhwa Tiger Reserve (DTR), said no injury marks were detected on the body of the deceased tiger and further investigations ruled out any poaching or poisoning attempts.

He added that all vital organs, including nails, canines were found intact.

He further said that following the standard operating procedure of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), an autopsy was conducted by a panel of three veterinary doctors, who described stomach rupture and internal organ failure to be the cause of the tiger’s death.

Sundaresh (known by single name), deputy director, Dudhwa buffer zone, said that field officials of Mailani range sighted the tiger walking abnormally slowly in the buffer zone on Friday morning.

He added under their watchful eyes, the young tiger entered into a sugarcane field, where he was later found dead.

The field director and other officials were intimated about this.

Sundaresh said that in the post-mortem examination, the tiger’s stomach was found empty with severe rupture caused by sharp bones which it had swallowed, and which led to decay and failure of internal organs.

He added being very young, the tiger’s molars had not developed properly enough to grind the bone pieces and it might have swallowed the bones, which resulted in internal rupture. He said young tigers often fail to judge what should be eaten and in what quantity .