Katezari tigress found dead in Moharli buffer

The Times of India , Friday, January 02, 2015
Correspondent : Mazhar Ali
Chandrapur: New Year dawned with the gloomy news of a tigress dying in a territorial fight with another feline. The full grown tigress was found dead near Mudholi-Katwal road near Sindhdhawan pond in Moharli (buffer) range on Thursday morning. Forest officials have ruled out any possibility of poaching.

The death came to light in the morning when some NGO activists discovered the dead body of a tigress lying in the thicket along the road on the outskirts of the core area of Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR). Senior forest officials rushed to the scene and took the carcass in possession. Wildlife activists present at the scene claimed the dead body was bloated and dried blood was spilled near the mouth.

Officials suspect that the dead feline was the popular Katezari tigress of TATR. It is third death of a tigress in last three months. A tigress was found dead in mysterious conditions on the bank of river Wainganga in Chamorshi range on November 12. On December 16, a tigress was killed in Shivni (buffer) range due to accidental drowning in a farm well.

On Thursday, forest officials removed the dead body to the forest nursery at Moharli for post mortem after inquest formalities. "The beast had multiple injuries, both old and new, on its body. Internal haemorrhage due to injuries resulted in its death. The beast is likely to have sustained the injuries during a territorial fight or during predatory attacks on its prey," veterinary doctor, TATR, Dr Ravikant Khobragade told TOI.

Dr Khobragade along with livestock development officers Dr Vinod Ramteke and Dr Pravin Damle performed autopsy on the dead tigress in the presence of CCF and field director, TATR, GP Garad, deputy director, TATR (buffer), Ashish Narwane, other forest officials and honorary wildlife warden Bandu Dhotre. Dr Khobragade ruled out the possibility of poisoning after the post mortem. Officials had earlier suspected poisoning as the carcass was bloated and blood and froth were seen on the mouth of the tigress.

RFO, Moharli (buffer), DS Rautkar too said the tigress died of injuries sustained during a fight with another animal. "We have recovered a kill of wild boar near the dead body of the tigress. It is likely that the tigress sustained some injuries while trying to bring down the boar, and the injuries proved fatal for her," he said. Post mortem was also carried out on the carcass of the wild boar at the forest nursery.

Officials suspect that the deceased feline was the Katezari tigress. This tigress was popular for having four cubs and was very easily sighted in Katezari area of Tadoba. The Katezari tigress had a big territorial fight with Jamni tigress in Tadoba last November. The same tigress had been seen visiting the same buffer area in the past, where the dead body of tigress was found. Both the facts perfectly fit the theory of tigress dying due to old and new injuries.

WII researchers camping in TATR had captured a fight between Katezari and Jamni tigress on their camera. Stripe pattern in pictures of Katezari tigress taken during the fight and those of the killed feline reportedly matched during comparison at the post mortem site.

"The stripe pattern of the dead tigress is similar to that of Katezari tigress. However, it is yet to be confirmed, as comparison of strip pattern with hard copies of photographs is not authentic procedure. Exact identity of the killed animal will be confirmed after official procedure of comparison on Friday," said CCF, TATR, GP Garad.

 
SOURCE : http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/Katezari-tigress-found-dead-in-Moharli-buffer/articleshow/45722079.cms
 


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