Hyderabad/Adilabad: Tigers in the corridor forests of Komaram Bheem Asifabad district are dying one by one, with one more tiger death reported on Monday, coming on the heels of the discovery of a dead sub-adult tigress two days ago.
Although the Telangana forest department officials were tight-lipped about the second tiger death within a week from the same patch of forest, it was learnt through reliable sources that the tiger carcass found on Monday was that of a large male, believed to be the one that fathered the tigress that was found dead earlier.
Incidentally, Monday’s discovery has put paid to the theory promoted by the department that the sub-adult tigress had died in a territorial conflict with another tiger. It is now believed that the sub-adult fed on cattle kill made last week, most likely by its mother, and which was subsequently poisoned by locals, who wanted to get rid of the tigers. The dead sub-adult was one of four siblings — two males and two females — who were moving in the area with their mother.
These animals had made the Darigaon forest beat in Kagaznagar mandal in Komaram Bheem Asifabad district their home, and were frequently visited by a large male, believed to be the father of the cubs.
The tiger found dead on Monday is now believed to be the father of these cubs.
Sources said as part of the investigation into the death of the sub-adult, department officials did not collect any sample from the cattle kill to check if it was poisoned and left the cattle carcass where it was found, placing a camera trap to see if other tigers would come and feed on it.
This being the case, it is now feared by some department officials that there may be more tiger deaths in the coming days if the cattle carcass was indeed poisoned, with sources saying the camera trap caught the male tiger that was found dead on Monday feeding on the cattle carcass.
It takes some six to nine months to pay compensation for cattle kills as the treasury does not release the funds and this is believed to be one the main reasons why locals are fed up with the presence of tigers in the area.
Sources told Deccan Chronicle that some villagers paid local ‘experts’ — hunters — to get rid of the tigers and as part of this plan, the cattle kill was likely poisoned.
Also, several snares were reportedly laid in the forest area near the cattle kill and the tiger found dead on Monday also had a snare around its neck. However, no one in the forest department was willing to go on record on this issue.
Meanwhile, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Head of Forest Force) R.M. Dobriyal and Chief Wildlife Warden M.C. Paragein rushed to Asifabad district to take stock of the situation arising from the two tiger deaths within one week.
