NTCA officials visit Nilgiris to investigate recent tiger deaths
COIMBATORE: Against the backdrop of recent tiger deaths in the district, National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) officials visited Nilgiris on Monday and conducted an investigation.
Inspector General of Forests (Southern Zone) N S Murali from NTCA, Bengaluru along with Kirupa Shankar, Deputy Director of the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau, Chennai and K Ramesh, a scientist from the Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun visited Emerald and Chinna Coonoor. They met the Field Director of Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR) and Conservator of Forests (Nilgiris) D Venkatesh, Deputy Director of MTR (Buffer Zone) P Arunkumar and District Forest Officer (Nilgiris division) S Gowtham and discussed the deaths of 10 tigers (six cubs and four adults) in Nilgiris forest division and the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve.
“The team held discussions with Veterinary assistant surgeon of Theppakadu Elephant Camp Rajesh Kumar about the results of the postmortem examination. We have also explained about the progress in tracing the mother of the cubs, which remains elusive. Though we fixed camera traps, it didn’t record the movement of the big cat,” said an official. The team also visited Emerald, where a male tiger was poisoned to death.
According to NTCA sources, 145 tiger deaths have been reported across the country so far this year and the recent death was a male adult tiger at Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh on September 20. Out of 145 deaths, 11 tiger deaths were reported in MTR, two in Sathymangalam Tiger Reserve (STR) and one in Srivilliputhur Megamalai Tiger Reserve in Tamil Nadu. In the last 34 days, the district witnessed 10 tiger deaths, including the death of a male tiger due to poison and six tiger cubs abandoned by mother.