2 tiger deaths reported within 12 hours in MP

NATIONAL TIGER CONSERVATION AUTHORITY DATA SAYS, OF THE 98 TIGER DEATHS REPORTED IN THE COUNTRY IN 2017, 26 WERE FROM MP

BHOPAL: A tigress has been killed ostensibly by a tiger in Madhya Pradesh’s Kanha Tiger reserve, marking the second big cat death within 12 hours in the state which has a high feline mortality rate.

Deputy director of the tiger reserve KS Bhadoriya said the half eaten carcass of the tigress named Budbudi ( T-83) was found on Saturday evening in Kisli range.

After seeing the injury marks and as the carcass was found in the area dominated by a male tiger named Sangam (T-56), forest officials suspect him as the killer.

Sangam either attacked the victim to reaffirm his dominance over the area or because his advances were spurned by Budbudi, officials suspect.

They said such killing is not uncommon.

Vijayarajan Muthu, tiger enthusiast and one of the key members in Tigers of Kanha group on Facebook posted, “Budbudi female, the Grand matriarch of Kisli is no more !...Initial reports strongly suggest she was apparently killed and also par- tially eaten by Sangam Male T-56..”

Meanwhile, badly decomposed carcass of another tiger was found on Saturday in Keolari range of south Seoni, with its paws missing, making it a suspected case of poaching.

Seoni South district forest officer (DFO) PS Sulya confirming the recovery said investigation was on to ascertain the cause of the death.

Last year MP recorded over one-fourth of the total tiger deaths in the country. According to National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) data of the 98 tiger deaths reported in the country in 2017, 26 were from MP.

Already three tiger deaths have been reported from the state this year.