Year 2009 is proving to be a year of casualties among tigers in Uttarakhand. Three tigers have died in the last three months with the last death reported on Friday.Forest officials have denied any foul play in the death of the animal, once declared a man eater. The declaration was withdrawn after confusion surfaced over whether the animal that attacked and killed a woman in the area was a tiger or a leopard.
The tiger died nearly 10-12 days ago but its body was found by villagers only on Friday on the bank of river Bour in Ramnagar Forest Division’s Nalni reserve forest area.
A forest division team later reached the spot and claimed the body following examination.
“None of the dead tiger’s body organs was found missing which eliminates the poaching angle. No bullet injury was also found on the body,” Nandram Arya, SDO, Ramnagar Forest Division, said.
When questioned about the possibilities of the animal having been poisoned, Range Officer NK Tiwari said: “It will be known only after the postmortem report is handed over to us on Monday.” However, Tiwari denied any foul play in the animal’s death. He also ruled out electrocution as farmlands were situated far away and said it may have died on thirst as there are no water bodies in the upper parts of Nalni Reserve Forest area.
In March, a 14-year-old male tiger was found dead at Patharva Block Compartment No. 2 of Dela Forest Range in Corbett Tiger Reserve. The second death took place again in Corbett Tiger Reserve within a week of the first. The latest death took place also in the same region, adjacent to Corbett Park and bordering Uttar Pradesh.
Ramnagar Forest Division officials have denied accusations of flouting the guidelines of NTCA in conducting the postmortem of the dead tiger. SDO Arya said the NTCA’s latest guidelines were not applicable in non-tiger reserve areas.
As per NTCA’s recent guidelines, the postmortem of any dead tiger has to be carried out in presence of a veterinary doctor, an NTCA representative and an expert NGO representative empanelled by the Chief Wildlife Warden of the State.
