KURNOOL: Two forest staff have been placed under suspicion for their alleged negligence in tracking wild animals in their jurisdiction. A tigress, aged around 3, was found dead under suspicious circumstances near Gandlaleru reservoir under Chelama forest range of Nandyal division in the Nagarjunasagar Srisailam Tiger Reserve (NTSR) on Wednesday.
Official sources said the news of the tigress death in the forest was circulated on social media platforms three days before the forest staff found its carcass. It was only through locals that the forest staff came to know about the tigress death.
Taking serious view of the lapse of staff, Conservator of Forests P Rama Krishna on Thursday issued an order suspending Peddakambaluru forest section officer Srinivasa Reddy and forest beat officer James Paul for their negligence as the duo were supposed to keep a track on the wild animals in their jurisdiction.
Meanwhile, the forest officials are yet to get the post-mortem report to ascertain the cause of tigress death.
It is suspected that those who were behind the death of tigress, might have tried to erase evidence as burn marks were found on its body, sources added.