Nagpur: As 2018 drew to a close, two tigers were reportedly poisoned in the Pauni range in the periphery of the Umred-Karhandla-Paoni Wildlife Sanctuary in Maharashtra’s Nagpur.
Forest rangers suspect that the majestic cats may have been targeted with poisoned bait between Sunday and Monday since the half-eaten carcass of a wild pig was found near one of the tigers. Situated amidst dense forests spreading across 189.30 sqkm, the Umred-Karhandla Wildlife Sanctuary houses about 15 tigers.
Officials said that the carcass of T16, a dominant male tiger aged seven years was found in compartment no. 226, Chichgaon beat. Local tourists informed forest officials about the carcass on Sunday, he added. On Monday, rangers surveying compartment no. 226 found the carcass of seven-year-old tigress T4 less than a kilometre away from where they found T16.
Pench Tiger Reserve’s Field Director Ravikiran Govekar said that the half-eaten carcass of a wild pig found near the tiger’s body indicates that locals living near the sanctuary may have killed the big cats as revenge. “There are farmlands in close vicinity to the spot and revenge killing is not new here,” he added.
The series of events increased the number of tiger-deaths in Maharashtra in 2018 to 21, equal to that of the previous year. Data released by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) revealed that 92 tigers died in India in 2018 with the maximum number of deaths being reported from Madhya Pradesh at 23 followed by Maharashtra at number two.
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