Uttarakhand forest dept mulls plan to not cremate elephants killed by tigers in Corbett Tiger Reserve

A study conducted last year on wildlife deaths due to infighting in CTA had found that 21 elephants, including 13 calves, had died in the past five years.

Uttarakhand forest department authorities are planning not to cremate elephants killed by tigers in Corbett Tiger Reserve (CTR) and instead allow them to feed on pachyderm carcasses.

There are over 250 tigers and 1,035 elephants in the Corbett landscape, the officials said. / HT Pic

The department will send this proposal to the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) soon, said forest officials.

There are over 250 tigers and 1,035 elephants in the Corbett landscape, the officials said.

Rahul (who goes by his first name), director, CTR, said many elephants get killed in tigers attacks in Corbett.

“The existing norms stipulate that elephants killed by tigers have to be cremated after their autopsy is done. But the rules are akin to snatching the kill of tigers. Usually, if a tiger hunts a deer, chital, we don’t do their post-mortem examination. We allow the carcasses to be left in forests for tigers to feed on them,” he said.

“We will send a proposal to NTCA soon to allow us not to cremate these elephants for tigers to feast on them. The reserve has 260 tigers, who could do with elephant meat. An abundance of the availability of food will also prevent the animals from infighting,” he said.

AG Ansari, a Ramnagar-based wildlife activist, lauded the Corbett authorities’ move.

“If a tiger has killed an elephant inside Corbett, its body should be left in the forest as it has been preyed upon. Tigers are deprived of food because of cremation of pachyderms,” he said.

“However, it’s important to protect a dead elephant’s tusks. Officials can monitor the kill site through cameras in a bid to ensure that poachers don’t smuggle out the dead elephant’s tusks,” he said.

A study conducted last year on wildlife deaths due to infighting in CTA had found that 21 elephants, including 13 calves, had died in the past five years.

Though elephant calves were killed by tigers, no tiger was killed by pachyderms.

Corbett officials said that tigers like elephant meat and have been found feasting on carcasses of elephants, who have died due to infighting.

Unlike lions, who hunt in packs, tigers are solo operators. A tiger may find it challenging to attack an elephant herd, segregate the calves, and then prey on one of the animals.

However, the study has found that in three cases, two tigers had killed elephant calves.