Guwahati, February 8: A male tiger, aged approximately 12 to 13 years, was discovered dead in the western part of the Bura Pahar range at the anti-poaching camp of Mandir Baneshwar in Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve (KNPTR) on Saturday. This incident follows the discovery of two other tiger carcasses in the park nearly a month ago, as reported by officials.
A senior official from KNPTR stated that a committee has been formed under the direction of park director Sonali Ghosh to conduct a post-mortem and ensure the carcass is disposed of according to the National tiger conservation Authority’s (NTCA) standard operating procedures (SOP).
Initial findings from the post-mortem suggest that the tiger’s death resulted from a fight with another tiger.
Additionally, the body of a female tiger, approximately three to four years old, was found on January 18 in the Kathpora area of the Bagori western range. Preliminary examinations indicated that her death was also due to inter-tiger conflict.
Earlier, on January 14, the carcass of a young male Royal Bengal tiger, aged about two to three years, was discovered in Thute Chapori, located in the eastern range of the Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve. Staff from the Gopaljarani anti-poaching camp spotted the body during routine patrols.
In response, the park’s director established a committee to oversee the post-mortem and disposal of the carcass in accordance with NTCA guidelines. Initial veterinary assessments suggest that the death may have been caused by natural factors or inter-tiger fighting.
Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve is India’s seventh UNESCO World Heritage Site and is home to the renowned ‘Big Five’. According to the latest estimates, the park houses 2,613 one-horned rhinoceroses (2022 census), 104 Bengal tigers (2022), 1,228 Asian elephants (2024), 2,565 wild water buffaloes (2022), and 1,129 eastern swamp deer (2022).
