3 Royal Bengal tigers found dead in Assam’s Kaziranga Tiger Reserve
Three Royal Bengal tigers were found dead in Assam’s Kaziranga Tiger Reserve between January 4 and January 18, officials said, and added preliminary findings pointed to infighting as the cause of the deaths. Officials said infighting is considered a natural cause of mortality in high-density tiger habitats such as Kaziranga.
On January 4, the carcass of a female tiger was recovered from the Paschim Bimoli area of the reserve’s Western Range in Bagori. A committee constituted, as per the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), conducted the post-mortem examination, which suggested that the tiger died due to infighting.
Ten days later, a Royal Bengal tiger, estimated to be two to three years old, was found dead at Thute Chapori in the Eastern Range. Veterinary officers, who carried out the preliminary examination, indicated that the death could have been natural or the result of infighting.
On January 18, the carcass of another female tiger was recovered from the Kathpora area of the Western Range in Bagori.
Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve director Sonali Ghosh constituted a committee for the post-mortem and to dispose of the carcass in accordance with NTCA guidelines. Preliminary findings again suggested infighting as the cause of death.
Ghosh said territorial clashes among tigers are common in areas with a strong and expanding tiger population. “Infighting mainly occurs due to territorial expansion and dominance behaviour and is considered a natural phenomenon,” she said.
Kaziranga Tiger Reserve had 148 Royal Bengal tigers, according to the latest tiger estimation conducted last year.
