Is Bandipur's legendary tiger Prince' dead?

CHAMRAJNAGAR: Is the legendary tiger of Bandipur National Park, Prince, dead? The carcass of a tiger found at Kundokere range of Bandipur on Sunday could be that of Prince, which had the reputation of being the most photographed tiger in the forest range, and was a favourite of foresters and visitors.

Forest officials said that Prince was 12 years old and had reached its ripe old age. Normally, tigers in the wild live for 12-13 years.

To confirm that the dead tiger was Prince, forest officials compared the stripes on the carcass with the photographs of ‘Prince’. Bandipur National Park Director Hiralal told Deccan Chronicle on Tuesday that the photographs almost confirmed that it was Prince.

Though the exact cause of the tiger’s death will be known after the necropsy report is filed, forest officials suspect that the tiger might have met its end because of its old age. After the necropsy, the carcass was burnt.

“Prince was the most photographed tiger of the Park,” said Mr Hiralal, while another official said that Prince brought fame to Bandipur National Park.

With its massive body, Prince’, named by one of the forest officials who served in Bandipur, had reportedly killed a couple of tigers in territorial fights.

One of the forest officials, who examined the carcass, said that the dead tiger is not the famed big cat, as Prince had a lump on its right leg, but the carcass of the tiger found on Sunday did not. Veterinarians, however, said that the lump might have decomposed as the carcass was five days old when it was located on Sunday.