In another incident, a man was seriously injured in confrontation with a tiger in the Ampokhra range of Terai (West) forest division, Ramnagar on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, some wildlife activists have expressed concern over raise in tiger deaths. Eight adult tigers and five cubs have died so far this year compared to six tigers’ death in Corbett during the previous year. The national park authorities point out that 10 per cent mortalities are natural among tiger populations considering which the number of tiger fatalities so far is not alarming.

According to Corbett deputy director CK Kavidayal, the national park staff were undertaking routine patrolling when they came across the carcass of a tiger near a water hole in Dhikala block of Sarpduli range on Tuesday.

The tiger may be about seven years old but its sex could not be determined because its hind portion had been eaten by another tiger which is believed to have killed the feline in a struggle.

Responding to concern raised by wildlife activists regarding the tiger fatalities in the national park this year, Kavidayal said that irrespective of what the skeptics say, the latest tiger census has revealed that the tiger population in the Corbett tiger reserve has increased to 217.

Considering the fact that 10 per cent mortalities are natural in tiger populations, even 20 natural deaths in a year cannot be considered alarming per se especially as the authorities have been able to curtail poaching in the national park, he added.

However, Wildlife Protection Society of India (WPSI) Uttarakhand head Rajendra Agrawal said that while the State Government is spending more than `4 crore on the Corbett Platinum Jubilee, the number of tigers found dead in the national park in the first five months of this year is higher than the tiger deaths in the previous year. In stead of spending funds on organising official functions, the money should be spent on measures to improve wildlife protection and management in Corbett, he stressed.