DEHRADUN: In a shocking discovery, a tiger's lifeless body was found just 7 kilometres from the Champawat district headquarters, in the jungle near Hathiya Naula. The incident has sparked widespread concern in the area.
Officials from the Forest Department promptly sent the tiger's body for a post-mortem examination. Initial assessments suggest the tiger may have died due to a conflict with another tiger.
The discovery was made by a group of women from Dhakna village, including Manju Devi, Rekha Devi, Vimla Devi, Aarti, and Ganeshi, who had ventured into the forest to collect firewood. Spotting the tiger lying on the ground, the frightened women immediately informed the villagers and the Forest Department.
Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Naveen Chand Pant and Sub-Divisional Forest Officer (SDO) Neha Chaudhary rushed to the scene with forest personnel to investigate. After an initial assessment, the officials arranged for the tiger's body to be sent to the veterinary hospital in Champawat for a post-mortem.
DFO Pant stated, "The cause of death has not yet been determined. It is suspected that the tiger may have died due to a conflict with another animal. There are also scratch marks on the body. Sub-Divisional Forest Officer Neha Chaudhary has been instructed to investigate the matter."
According to DFO Pant, the male tiger was approximately six years old and measured about 7 feet in length. He added, "It is unclear whether the death was due to a mutual conflict or some other accident. The cause of death will be determined after the post-mortem report. Additionally, the tiger's DNA will be tested at the Wildlife Institute of India in Dehradun. Samples will also be sent to IVRI in Bareilly for further investigation."
It is noteworthy that Uttarakhand ranks third in India in terms of tiger population, with a total of 560 tigers, according to the latest census. Madhya Pradesh holds the top position with 785 tigers, followed by Karnataka with 563.
The investigation into the tiger's death is ongoing, with forest officials committed to uncovering the exact cause.