A rare black tiger (pseudo-melanistic) was found dead in the Similipal National Park (STR) in Odisha’s Mayurbhanj district, park officials said on Tuesday, suggesting that the death was likely due to a fight.
Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) Sushil Kumar Popli confirmed the news of the tiger’s death.
According to the Field Director of Similipal Tiger Reserve, on the morning of April 30, one tiger death was detected by the staff of Similipal South Division in Badamakkabadi ll beat area, south of Nawana area.
The dead tiger was identified as T 27, a male about 3.5 years old, the field director said. The death has been reported to the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA).
According to a park official, the tiger’s body was intact. The samples will be sent to Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT) as well as Wildlife Institute of India (WII) for analysis, the official added.
“The post-mortem was conducted in the presence of NTCA representative, Joint Task Force (JTF) members, Field Director DD Simlipala, veterinary doctors and other staff on May 1. The preliminary cause of death is suspected to be a fight between two men based on injuries. marks on the body. However, the test results will give a clear idea about the exact cause of death,” said the Field Director.
After the autopsy, the body was burnt to ashes, the official said. Similipal Tiger Reserve is the only place in the world where rare black tigers are found. Declared one of the nine tiger reserves in India in 1973, the STR is the second largest biosphere reserve in Asia and is included in the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve network.
Written by: Vaishali verma
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