 "The tigers are believed to have been killed on Wednesday (June 25), and their deaths came to light yesterday. News18")
As many as five tigers were found dead in Karnataka’s M.M. Hills Wildlife Sanctuary, located in the Chamarajanagar district. The deaths were discovered on Thursday, prompting forest officials to open an investigation as the deaths of the canines – one tigress and her four cubs – raised serious questions about the lack of surveillance.
The tigers are believed to have been killed on Wednesday (June 25), and their deaths came to light yesterday. Although the cause of their deaths has not been ascertained, poisoning is most likely to have killed the tigers.
The carcasses were discovered in the Gajanur beat of the Meenyam Section, located within the Hoogyam range of the wildlife sanctuary. Nearby, a dead cow was also found, lending further weight to the theory that the tigers were poisoned.
What do we know about the deaths?
The tigress was an 11-year-old and was identified in 2014 when it was six to eight months old.
Prima facie, the tiger killed a cow and dragged it into the forest. After consuming it partially, the tigers returned and ate what is suspected to be the poisoned carcass, adulterated by miscreants. This caused the deaths among the tigers.
According to a report by News18, environmental activists say that the carcass of the cow was poisoned as forest watchers did not surveil the area properly over alleged non-payment of their salaries for the past three months.
Impact Shorts
More Shorts“These forest watchers have not been paid for months, and they have raised these issues with the officers. How do we expect them to go into the forest and do their duty?" Joseph Hoover, a prominent environmentalist, said.
Govt takes action
Karnataka’s Forests, Ecology and Environment Minister, Eshwar B. Khandre, has recognised the seriousness of the incident, ordering a detailed report and promising strict action against those involved. He confirmed that early findings point to the tiger deaths being unnatural.
He said, “Preliminary reports indicate that all these are unnatural deaths. According to protocol, a postmortem will be conducted. This is a heart-wrenching incident. I am instructing the vigilance squad to work more efficiently and increase monitoring rounds at all national parks and sanctuaries in the state."
The probe will be led by a high-level committee consisting of senior forest officials, a veterinary officer, and a wildlife expert. It has been asked to submit a report on its findings in 14 days. Meanwhile, samples of the dead tigers’ blood for oxicology, histopathology and DNA profiling after necropsies have been conducted.