A tigress and two cubs were found dead near the Maharashtra’s Tadoba Tiger Reserve, around 150 km from Nagpur, on Monday morning. With the deaths of three big cats on Monday, the toll has risen to eleven in the state since January this year.

Officials said the animals were found dead near a lake in Metepara jungle in Chandrapur district, adjacent to the Tadoba Tiger reserve. The dead cubs were aged around eight to nine months while their mother was five to six years old.

A forest guard spotted carcasses and informed the forest department. “The reasons behind the deaths are yet to be ascertained. The post-mortem is being conducted,” said Nitin Kakodkar, principal chief conservator of forests-wildlife of Maharashtra. He also said it could be a case of suspected poisoning.

The deputy conservator of forests of Bramhapuri division, Kulraj Singh, and other senior forest officials rushed to the spot.

On May 9 this year, a full-grown tiger died of drowning in Melghat Tiger Reserve in Maharashtra’s Vidarbha region.

First Published: Jul 08, 2019 13:11 IST