KOCHI: The death of a tiger and an elephant at Kulathupetti in the Idamalayar forest range has turned the spotlight on the increasing presence of tigers in the Malayattoor division. Forest department officers who inspected the spot where the carcasses of the two animals were found suspect that a second tiger was involved in the incident. The head of the Variyam tribal colony, located just 1.5 km away from the grassland where the carcasses were found, has informed the forest authorities of the presence of a second tiger in the area.
According to a member of the team that visited the spot, the carcasses were highly decomposed. The female tiger aged 9 to 10 years would have died a week ago and the elephant 14 to 15 days ago. Some animal has feasted on the elephant carcass. The bones of the tigress were intact but the animal’s right upper canine was damaged. Her claws were also not very sharp.
“The tigress would have killed and feasted on the carcass of the juvenile elephant which was 7 to 8 years old. Considering the statement of the tribal head, we presume a young tiger intruded into the tigress’ territory and killed her for the carcass. We are waiting for the postmortem report to confirm the cause of death,” said the Malayattoor divisional forest officer Ravikumar Meena who visited the spot along with an expert team on Thursday.
According to wildlife experts, tigers shift to forest fringes when they are aging. The claws of the tigress were not sharp and could have had difficulty in hunting. The tiger marks its territory by making claw marks on trees and spreading urine. Turf war is common among tigers as young ones overpower the ageing to claim territory.
Meanwhile, tribesmen and people living in the forest fringes of Malayattoor division have confirmed the increased presence of tigers in the area. As many as five tigers have been spotted there. According to their version, two or three tigers were spotted in the Thundathil range.