Death of tigresses: Team constituted to scour Avalanche
The release added that a team of 20 staff under Additional Conservator of Forests Devaraj has been formed to search the surrounding area to ascertain whether the animals died due to poisoning or not.
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CHENNAI: As two tigresses were found dead near Avalanche dam on Saturday, the state forest department has formed a team to scour the forest area to ascertain whether the animals died due to poisoning or not.
According to a forest department release, beat personnel of Avalanche area found carcasses of two tigresses near Avalanche Dam surplus canal at 4.30 pm on Saturday. "Based on information, the district forest officer of Nilgris rushed to the spot and found out that there were no injuries on the bodies. They died two days ago," the release said.
The release added that a team of 20 staff under Additional Conservator of Forests Devaraj has been formed to search the surrounding area to ascertain whether the animals died due to poisoning or not.
As per the guidelines of National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), autopsy of the carcasses were scheduled to be conducted on Sunday morning. "Three veterinarians from the forest department and two veterinarians from the animal husbandry department will conduct the autopsy. Also, samples will be sent to analyse for the presence of poison. The reason for the deaths will be confirmed only after the autopsy," the release added.
With these deaths, the total death count of tigers has gone up to six just in the last one month alone in the Nilgiris. On 17th August, a tigress was found dead in Mudumalai Tiger Reserve and two cubs in Sigur range. Earlier, a seven-year-old tiger was spotted dead in a private tea estate in Naduvattam. Forest department officials then attributed the death of two adult tigers due to infighting, while the cubs apparently couldn’t survive after being abandoned by their mother.
