NewKerala.com

Third Tiger Found Dead in Kaziranga in 25 Days, Infighting Suspected

Officials have recovered a third tiger carcass from Assam's Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve in a span of 25 days. The latest casualty, an aged male tiger, was found near the Mandir Baneshwar Anti-Poaching Camp. Preliminary post-mortem reports indicate infighting as the probable cause of death, similar to a tigress found dead in January. Kaziranga, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is a critical habitat for the 'Big Five', including an estimated 104 Bengal tigers.

Key Points: Third Tiger Carcass Found in Assam's Kaziranga National Park

  • Third tiger carcass in under a month
  • Infighting cited as likely cause
  • Carcass of male tiger found in Burapahar Range
  • Park is home to 104 Bengal tigers
2 min read

Third tiger carcass found in Kaziranga National Park in 25 days

A third tiger carcass in 25 days recovered from Kaziranga. Officials cite infighting as the likely cause, raising concerns for the park's big cat population.

"Preliminary findings during post-mortem suggest that infighting has led to the death of the tiger. - KNPTR Official"

Guwahati, Feb 7

Nearly less than a month after the recovery of two tiger carcasses, another dead tiger was found in Assam's Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve on Saturday, officials said.

A senior KNPTR official said that one carcass of male tiger, aged nearly 12 to 13 years, was recovered from western side of Mandir Baneshwar Anti-Poaching Camp (APC) area of Burapahar Range Ghorakati.

The official said that a committee was constituted by KNPTR Director Sonali Ghosh for carrying out a post-mortem examination and disposal of carcass as per the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) of National Tiger Conservation Authority.

Preliminary findings during post-mortem suggest that infighting has led to the death of the tiger.

The KNPTR official said that the carcass of a tigress, aged nearly three to four years, was recovered on January 18 afternoon from the Kathpora area of the Bagori Western Range.

Preliminary findings of the post-mortem examination suggested that the female tiger died due to infighting.

Earlier, on January 14, the carcass of a young male Royal Bengal tiger, aged nearly two to three years, was detected at Thute Chapori in the Eastern Range at Gamiri under the Biswanath Wildlife Division of the KNPTR.

The carcass was spotted by staff of the Gopaljarani Anti-Poaching Camp during routine patrolling.

Acting promptly, the KNPTR Director constituted a committee to oversee the post-mortem examination and disposal of the carcass as per NTCA guidelines.

Preliminary veterinary examination indicated that the death could have occurred due to natural causes or infighting.

Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve, India's seventh UNESCO World Heritage Site, is home to the famed 'Big Five'.

As per the latest estimates, the park shelters 2,613 greater one-horned rhinoceroses (2022 census), 104 Bengal tigers (2022), 1,228 Asian elephants (2024), 2,565 wild water buffaloes (2022), and 1,129 eastern swamp deer (2022).

Spread across the districts of Golaghat, Nagaon, Sonitpur and Biswanath, the park generated a revenue of more than Rs 10.90 crore in 2024-25 and more than Rs 8.81 crore in 2023-24.

The KNPTR comprises three forest divisions -- Eastern Assam Wildlife Division (Bokakhat), Biswanath Wildlife Division (Biswanath Chariali), and Nagaon Wildlife Division (Nagaon).

- IANS

Share this article:

Reader Comments

P
Priya S
Very sad. 😔 These majestic animals are struggling for space. With only 104 tigers in the park, every loss is a huge blow to conservation. The authorities are doing their job with post-mortems, but we need proactive measures. Maybe better monitoring of tiger territories to prevent such fatal clashes?
R
Rohit P
Respectfully, I have to question the "infighting" conclusion for all three cases. It seems like a convenient explanation. In a park that generates over 10 crore rupees, surely we can invest in more advanced forensic tools to determine the *exact* cause of death? Transparency is key for public trust in conservation.
S
Sarah B
The staff patrolling and finding the carcasses promptly is commendable. It shows the frontline workers are vigilant. The "Big Five" concept is great for tourism, but the focus must remain on creating a sustainable ecosystem for these animals to thrive, not just survive.
V
Vikram M
This is the reality of wildlife conservation in India. High population density in protected areas leads to territorial fights. While the revenue numbers are impressive, a significant portion must be reinvested into habitat expansion and corridor creation. Jai Hind to our forest guards!
K
Kavya N
The tiger that died was 12-13 years old, which is a good age in the wild. The tigress was very young though. Nature can be cruel. We must support the KNPTR and Director Sonali Ghosh madam. They are following NTCA guidelines properly, which is important.

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

Leave a Comment

Minimum 50 characters 0/50