NILGIRIS: A postmortem report has revealed that two tigers who were found dead near the Avalanche dam surplus water channel at Kundha Thaluk died due to poisoning.
Forest officials who found two big cat carcasses on Saturday assumed the deceased tigers were female. However, on Sunday, based on the statement of veterinarians, officials stated that both tigers were male, and were aged 8 and 3, respectively.
District Forest Officer of Nilgiris Forest Division, S Gowtham, said, "We have found circumstantial evidence for poisoning as our field level staff found a carcass of a dead cow near the tiger carcasses."
"We have taken samples of the organs of the tigers to find out the exact cause of the death and we will be sending them for forensic analysis," he added.
The official said that a clear picture would emerge only after getting postmortem results after a week.
A case has been registered under the Wildlife Protection Act 1972.
A total of six tigers recently died across the Nilgiris district --- three of them died in Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR) and three others including the two believed to have been poisoned, died in Kundha Thaluk.