Sariska tiger that revived reserve’s population dies
ST-2, 19, was cremated after post-mortem today in presence of Rajasthan’s forest minister Sanjay Sharma, Sariska field director RN Meena and other forest officials
Tigress ST-2, the first to give births to cubs that repopulated tigers in Sariska after all tigers vanished in the reserve in 2008 due to poaching, has died, officials said. She was cremated on Wednesday. Of the 30 tigers in the reserve, 25 are her direct descendants.
ST-2, 19, was cremated after post-mortem today in presence of Rajasthan’s forest minister Sanjay Sharma, Sariska field director RN Meena and other forest officials.
District forest officer, DP Jagawat, said: “The Tigress ST-2 was suffering a wound on the tail and for the last three months she was kept in an enclosure and treatment was going on. On Tuesday evening, when no movement of the Tigress was observed, doctors checked and declared her dead.”
He said a team of forest employees was constantly monitoring her . This 19-year-old tigress played an important role in increasing the tiger population in the reserve. She was relocated from Ranthambore Tiger Reserve to Sariska in 2008 and gave birth to tigresses ST-7, ST-8 and ST-14 and tiger ST-13.
Sharma said, “ Usually tigers have a lifespan of 14-15 years but this special tigress lived for 19 years. I have come to pay my homage to the tigress who (re)-populated Sariska. Like we care for our elderly, these forest officials cared for the tigress during her last days.”
{{/usCountry}}Sharma said, “ Usually tigers have a lifespan of 14-15 years but this special tigress lived for 19 years. I have come to pay my homage to the tigress who (re)-populated Sariska. Like we care for our elderly, these forest officials cared for the tigress during her last days.”
{{/usCountry}}Field director of Sariska Tiger Reserve (STR), RN Meena said the death was a big loss to the Reserve.
In 2008, the tigers at Sariska were reported missing, allegedly to poaching blamed on notorious poacher Sansar Chand. As a result, three female tigers, including ST-2, were brought over from the reserve in Ranthambore to repopulate Sariska. ST-2 gave birth to the first cubs in 2012. Today, there are an estimated 30 tigers at the Sariska reserve of whom 25 have directly descended from ST-2.