Fifth tiger dead in Uttarakhand

A two-year-old female tigress was found dead by the forest staff in Pili beat of Shyampur range.

Uttarakhand reported its fifth tiger death of the year on Thursday in its Haridwar forest division, adjoining Rajaji Tiger Reserve.

Forest officers said that the cranium of the tiger was broken, which hints at conflict. (AP/Representative image)

A two-year-old female tigress was found dead by the forest staff in Pili beat of Shyampur range of the division on Thursday morning. The officers reached the spot and observed that it’s not a natural death. Sniffer dogs brought to the spot found a half-eaten carcass of a buffalo within a 100-metre radius of the spot.

“It could be poaching, infighting or even an accident. We will investigate further once we get the post-mortem report,” DVS Khati, chief wildlife warden informed who was on the spot.

The tiger carcass was disposed of according to the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) norms.

Forest officers said that the cranium of the tiger was broken, which hints at conflict.

Shyampur is adjoining the eastern part of the reserve where tigers are breeding. The range has become a buffer for the tigers.

Earlier, a tiger was found dead in Sardpuli range of the Corbett Tiger Reserve (CTR) on April 28. On March 28, a tiger was found dead in Terai Central forest division.

A tiger was found dead in Ramnagar forest division on January 29 and on January 11, in Kalagarh division of Corbett.