Animals' bones found at national park sent for tests

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The recovery of animal bones found from two places during digging in the park last week has fuelled speculation about the involvement of park staff in poaching of wild animals.

"One set of bones appears to be that of a sloth bear. The animal was buried in the core area of the national park and the remains were dug out Feb 3. In another incident, remnants of the jaw of an animal - strongly suspected to be that of a tiger - were dug out Feb 5," a wildlife official said.

State Forest Minister Sartaj Singh said: "The bones and the jaw have been sent to forensic laboratory for tests. It appears that the bones were of a bear while it would be too early to comment whether the jaw was of a tiger.

"We are trying to determine what happened to the tigers of Panna, whether they migrated or were killed. The recovery of bones points to animals being killed," he said.

The minister also did not rule out handing over the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation, saying: "If the recovery is substantial then the case could be handed over to external agencies too."