THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Raising concerns, two tiger deaths were reported in Kallar Range of Achankovil forest division in a month. The carcasses were discovered on December 31 and January 18 during routine forest inspections. Officials said there’s nothing unusual about the deaths as one of the animals died due to old age while the other got killed in a fight with another tiger.
Postmortem of the animals were conducted by a special committee formed by the South Zone Chief Forest Conservator, adhering to guidelines from the National Tiger Conservation Authority.
The first incident involved a 12-15-year-old tigress found dead in the Shavakkotta area on December 31. The body showed no visible injuries or wounds, and preliminary findings suggest that the death was due to natural causes related to ageing.
In the second incident, the body of a tiger, estimated to be 7-10 years old, was found in the Kaduvappara area. The body, about seven days old at the time of discovery, bore nail and bite marks, as well as injuries to internal organs. Initial inferences from the postmortem report indicate that the tiger may have died from internal wounds following an attack by another tiger.