Jun 28, 2025 03:47 PM IST
Forest rangers discovered a tigress, estimated to be five years old, dead in Gundre forest due to natural causes linked to starvation from injury.
Days after a tigress and her four cubs were poisoned to death near Bengaluru, another sobering discovery was made deep in the Gundre forest range this week, where forest rangers came across the lifeless body of a tigress during a routine patrol. The tigress, estimated to be around five years old, was found on Thursday evening, prompting an immediate investigation by forest authorities, news agency PTI reported.
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By Friday, a post-mortem examination provided some clarity. According to Bandipur’s Conservator of Forests, Prabhakaran, the big cat’s death was attributed to natural causes, primarily starvation following an injury sustained during territorial infighting. The tigress was unable to hunt due to injuries from a clash with another tiger, he explained. There was no trace of food in her digestive system, he said.
Tigress, four cubs, found dead in Hugyam forest range
While this death appears to be a tragic result of nature’s harsh order, a separate and far more disturbing incident recently came to light just days earlier. In the Male Mahadeshwara Hills, under the Hugyam forest range, another tigress and her four cubs were found dead on June 26.
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Investigators believe the MM Hills deaths were no accident. Early findings point toward a deliberate poisoning, allegedly carried out by a local villager seeking revenge for a cow lost to predators. Forest officials confirmed on Saturday that three individuals, including the cow’s owner, have been arrested in connection with the suspected poisoning.
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Officials are now working to address the growing conflicts between man and wildlife and enhance both conservation and community safety.
(With inputs from PTI)
