Bhubaneawar, May 1: A male melanistic (black stripe) Royal Bengal Tiger was found dead in Nawna (south) range of Similipal Tiger Reserve in Mayurbhanj district on Sunday evening.
Though the exact reason behind the tiger’s death is yet to be ascertained, forest department officials said that the tiger could have died due to infighting as there was an injury mark on the carcass.
Male tigers generally clash to defend their territory. This sometimes turns violent.
Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Wildlife (PCCF) SK Popli said the tiger was aged around 3 to 3.5 years. “We are waiting for the postmortem report to know the exact cause of the death. We will take further steps accordingly,” said Popli.
The forest department has informed the National Tiger Conservation Authority about the death.
