Telangana: Tiger found dead suspected to have been poisoned

Hyderabad: The male tiger found dead yesterday in Kagaznagar forest in Telangana’s Kumuram Bheem Asifabad district is suspected to have died of poisoning, forest officials said on Tuesday. Officials also found the carcass of a herbivore around the dead tiger, which is suspected to have been poisoned and used as bait. However, officials said the tiger’s carcass was found near a local drain, with a loose noose around its neck. Officials said that based on preliminary investigation and observations, the team suspects that the death was caused by poison. He told that the tiger was about five or six years old. The tiger’s carcass was found in Daregaon, about eight kilometers from Kagaznagar, an official release said. It said the site was inspected by Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF), Telangana RM Dobriyal and a team appointed by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), comprising forest staff including veterinary surgeons. Officials said local staff have stepped up efforts to nab the culprit and an FIR has also been lodged at the local police station. Both the tiger carcass and the dead animal used as fodder were disposed of as per NTCA norms. This is the second case of death of a tiger in Kumuram Bheem Asifabad district. On January 6, forest staff found the dead body of a one and a half year old tigress in the Tiger Corridor area of Kawal Tiger Reserve. Based on observation and investigation, the team recorded the death of the tigress as a case of “territorial fight” between tigers.