MYSURU: A tigress, aged 8-9 years and mother of two cubs, is suspected to have died due to an overdose of tranquillisers at Gandethur village of HD Kote taluk on the outskirts of Nagarahole forest during the wee hours of Tuesday.
Nagarahole Conservator of Forests S Manikantan told reporters that the tigress could not withstand the effect of tranquillisers on an empty stomach and died. However on Monday morning, the tigress had appeared in a banana plantation of a village on the fringes of DB Kuppe range of Nagarahole forest and had partially eaten a cow belonging to a farmer.
The cause of death as well as the darting procedures followed have raised questions. Experts say female lactating tigers should not be darted. Also, the procedure should be done only in an enclosure and not in the wild and never after sunset. All these rules appear to have been flouted.
The forest department launched an operation to catch the big cat around 5 pm on Monday. About 40 forest staffers led by D B Kuppe RFO began the operation after police personnel ensured that curious villagers did not venture close to the danger zone.
Sources said that they first fired a dart at the animal around 5.30pm on Monday.
However, they were not sure whether it had hit it. Around midnight, the animal was sighted again in the banana plantation and appeared fine. A tranquilliser dart was again fired at it which finally hit the target and sedated the animal.
The animal was caged and taken to Udburu Gate where RFO Vinay Kumar and veterinarian Umashankar and others waited for orders from higher-ups on whether the animal should be released. Around 4.30 am, the tigress was found dead.