A decomposed carcass of a tiger was found in Mallayyanakatte lake on outskirts of Choudahalli village in Gundlupet taluk of Chamarajanagara district, in Karnataka on Tuesday, said an officer aware of the matter.
The death occurred under Bandipura tiger reserve jurisdiction, said the officer .
According to preliminary reports from the forest department, the eight-year-old tiger’s carcass was found in the lake. The remains were found by a farmer, said the officer.
Confirming the development, assistant conservator of forests N Ravindra said, soon after receiving the alert, a forest department team rushed to the spot.
“After receiving the information we have reached the spot and collected information. The tiger might have died three days back’’ ACF N Ravindra said. “The exact reason of the death will be known only after the autopsy is conducted,” he added.
Meanwhile, the villagers staged a protest against the forest department alleging that since last six months leopards and tigers have been attacking and killing their domestic animals. One of the villagers on anonymity said: “Despite several complaints, the forest officers do not visit the area, but when a tiger died, the officers rushed to spot within minutes.”
The villagers were later pacified and the forest department went ahead with the inquiry.
“The tiger’s carcass is still in the lake as it was dark when we reached. It will be retrieved on Wednesday morning and a veterinary doctor will conduct the autopsy on the tiger in presence of NGO representatives, Ravindra added.
A farmer, N Rajendra meanwhile said: “For last six months tigers and leopards have been killing the cattle in our villages. We have urged the forest department to provide suitable compensation to farmers but the department is neglecting us”.
When asked about any foul play in the death the ACF said, the “possibility has not been ruled out but the matter will be clear once body fished out from water”.
However, N Rajendra said:“Though we are angry that the forest department is not providing us suitable compensation but no farmer will take the law into hand and kill animals,“he added.
