No intent to kill, Kanhan tiger died of poisoning

Nagpur: The young tiger was found dead in a paddy field in the Kanhan area on Tuesday, due to poisoning leading to cardio-respiratory failure. The big cat is suspected to have died after drinking water contaminated with pesticides.
The post-mortem was performed by veterinarians Dr Vinod Dhoot, HoD (Medicine), and Dr Prashant Sonkusre, HoD (Pathology), of Nagpur Veterinary College.They did not suspect any intent to kill. "There was not a single injury mark on the body of the tiger. There were haemorrhages observed in the stomach and intestines indicating the tiger died due to poisoning. If the big cat consumed the meat of a poisoned animal, some traces of flesh would have been visible in the stomach," said Dr Dhoot.
Dr Sonkusre said, "The entire body of the tiger had watery content. It seems the tiger consumed phosphate-mixed water in the rice field. The poison affected the blood vessels of the tiger."
This is the 20th tiger death in Maharashtra since January 1, 2024. The young tiger was found dead on the farm of Prakash Ambatkar in Patgowari on Tuesday afternoon. As it was evening when the forest department team reached the spot, the post-mortem was conducted on Wednesday at the Transit Treatment Centre (TTC), Seminary Hills.
Sanjay Satyekar, a farmer leader from Kanhan, said, "The increasing number of tiger deaths in Maharashtra has become a cause for concern. The incident raises questions about the effectiveness of the forest department."
"The death of the tiger in Kanhan calls for better conservation efforts and protecting wildlife habitats. The forest department has failed to work with communities to find a long-term solution to this problem and ensure the safety of both the tigers and the local population," said Satyekar.