Chandrapur: An adult tiger was killed in a territorial fight in the agriculture fields near village Arjuni under Moharli (buffer) range of Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve. Autopsy examination has confirmed the death was due to severe bleeding from multiple injuries in a territorial fight with another tiger, said CCF, TATR, Jitendra Ramgaonkar.
The dead body of the severely injured tiger was found on the farm of one Namdeo Kite, just 200 meters from Bhanuskhindi Protected forest of TATR. Officials identified the tiger as T40 on the basis of record available with tiger reserve.
Ramgaokar claimed that there were fresh injuries suffered in a territorial fight between two adult male tigers. “The incident of territorial fight has been corroborated by villagers and members of primary response team of Arjuni village, who were monitoring the area since early morning,” he said.
Officials informed that the tiger was a three-year-old male. There were injury marks on the neck, face and hind legs of the dead tiger. Sources said there were two deep puncture wounds on the neck, which had lead to puncturing of trachea of tiger. Profuse bleeding from the wound led to its tiger, the vets involved in the post mortem have inferred.
Sources informed that foresters have begun intense search operation to locate the other tiger involved, suspecting it might also have sustained equally severe injuries. This is the second death of a tiger in Chandrapur and eight in the country this year.
The post mortem was carried out by a team of veterinary doctors comprising Dr Ravikant Khobragade, Dr Kundan Podchelwar and Dr Rahul Shendre. Honorary wildlife warden Bandu Dhotre and wildlife activist Mukesh Bhandakkar were present as representative of NTCA and PCCF respectively.
Senior officials including deputy director (buffer) G Guruprasad, deputy director (core) and Nandkishor Kale were present. The dead body of the tiger was incinerated at the spot in the presence of witnesses.