Bandipur Tiger Reserve records 6 deaths in a year

A total of six tiger deaths have been reported in the limits of Bandipur National Park since May 2019 including the one found dead on Sunday.

Forest personnel on patrol found the carcass of an eight-year-old male tiger in N Begur forest range on Sunday. However, the authorities denied any foul play and claimed that the big cat might have died a natural death or may have succumbed to starvation.

Mysuru district honorary Wildlife Warden Krithika Alanahalli said, the animal might have died a natural death. The claws, skin and teeth were found intact. There were no external injuries but, carcass had started decomposing. The samples have been sent to the lab for tests, and the animal might have died of infection or illness, she said.

In December, 2019, an eight year-old tiger was found dead in the same forest range.

In July 2019, a five-year-old female tiger was found dead due to injuries near Maguvinahalli, just outside the Bandipur National Park. The animal had died of multiple injuries, either due to road accident or in a fight with a wild boar.

Two tigers were found dead in a span of four days at Bandipur Tiger Reserve, between June 20 and 24, 2019. A 10-year-old tigress was found dead near Tiger Block in the backwaters of Hebbahalla dam, in HD Kote taluk on June 24 and a highly decomposed carcass of a male tiger was found at Moolehole Forest Range, under Bandipur Tiger Reserve, in Gundlupet taluk, on June 20.

Poisoning

In another incident, a tiger was poisoned to death at Parvathy Betta, under the buffer zone of Bandipur Tiger Reserve in May 2019. The tiger was allegedly killed by a gang.