A tigress and her two cubs were found dead in Chimur tahsil along with chital in Shankarpur round. (ANI)A tigress and her two cubs were found dead in a farm in Kavadsi beat of Shankarpur round in Brahmapuri division of Chandrapur district on Monday. A partly-eaten carcass of a spotted deer or chital, suspected to have been poisoned to death with the intention to kill trespassing carnivores, was also found nearby.
“A tigress and her two cubs were found dead in Chimur tahsil along with chital in Shankarpur round, ” said Rama Rao, chief conservator of forest, Chandrapur.
The death of three tigers by poisoning in a single incident is rare. A similar incident was reported in 2003, also in Bramhapuri division. Earlier in December 2018, two tigers were found poisoned to death in Umred – Karhandla wildlife sanctuary.
Asked if it was a case of electrocution or positioning, Rama Rao said, ” According to the preliminary information, there were no signs of electrocution. So, we suspect it could be poisoning. We are yet to fully figure out facts.”
Rao further added that he doesn’t have any information if the cubs were grown-up or not. Sources, however, said that the cubs were about eight-months-old.
Bramhapuri division has the largest number of tigers and leopards for a non- protected area, about 42 and 83 respectively, often leading to human-wildlife conflict. Poisoning of big cats is always one of the probable outcomes of the conflict.
Last month, the human-wildlife conflict in Chandrapur claimed its fourteenth victim with a cowherd being killed in a suspected tiger attack at village Murmadi in Sindewahi tehsil.
