Sedatives overdose kills tiger

A tigress, aged 8-9 years and mother of two cubs, is suspected to have died due to an overdose of tranquillisers at Gandethur

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 recently. 

Nagarahole Conservator of Forests S Manikantan said the tigress could not withstand the effect of tranquillisers on an empty stomach and died. 

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 with around 40 forest staffers.
Sources said that they first fired a dart at the animal. But  they were not sure whether it had hit it. Around midnight, the animal was sighted again in a banana plantation and appeared fine. A dart was again fired 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. 
Within hours tigress was found dead. 

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