KURNOOL: A nine-year-old tigress was found dead in the Nallamala forest under the Atmakur Project Tiger Division, prompting forest officials to launch an investigation into the cause of its death.
Forest staff discovered the carcass on Wednesday during routine foot patrolling near Isuka Madugu Rastha in Compartment No. 857, on the border of the Atmakur and Nagaluti forest ranges in the Nagarjunasagar-Srisailam Tiger Reserve (NSTR). Officials immediately secured the area and informed senior officers.
Following the National Tiger Conservation Authority’s Standard Operating Procedure, an authorised veterinary team conducted a postmortem examination on Thursday.
NSTR Field Director C Selvam said the carcass bore no external injuries or signs of foul play. Preliminary findings suggest the tigress may have died due to health-related issues.
Forest officials said camera traps had captured the tigress three to four times during the past three months, with the last sighting recorded on July 7 near Gudubanda and Solarkonda. The footage indicated that the animal appeared to be suffering from health problems.
Veterinarians and forest officials collected tissue and other biological samples and sent them to laboratories for detailed analysis. After obtaining approval from higher authorities, officials incinerated the carcass as per protocol.
Selvam said officials had registered a case and launched an investigation to ascertain the exact cause of death based on laboratory reports and other evidence.