Forensic report to clear air on tiger cubs’ death in RTR
DCF probing the tiger cub deaths in a recently submitted report stated that anything can be concluded only on the basis of the forensic report
Mystery over the death of two tiger cubs in Sawai Madhopur’s Ranthambore Tiger Reserve (RTR) continues, as the deputy conservator of forests (DCF) probing the tiger cub deaths in a recently submitted report stated that anything can be concluded only on the basis of the forensic report. The forensic report is expected to come in 10 days.
The two 13-month-old male cubs, litters of tigress T-79, were found dead in Anwad ki Khard area of RTR on April 17. Chief conservator of forests and field director, RTR, YK Sahu had asked deputy conservator of forests (DCF) Bijo Joy to submit a detailed report in the incident.
“The DCF has submitted the report and it is being studied. The DCF has mentioned that conclusion can be reached after the forensic report. We are waiting for the forensic report, which would be received in 10 days,” said Sahu.
A senior official of forest department on the condition of anonymity said the DCF’s report does not specify anything. He also did not deny involvement of any intruding male or fight or death due to poisoning, as the cubs had eaten bull.
The officer said the report mentions presence of an expired empty insecticide bottle near the dead bull. “No new evidence related to cubs’ death has been mentioned in the report,” the officer added.
However, so far it is clear that the cubs ate bull before dying. “Pieces of bovine skin were seen in stomach (of cubs) during the post mortem, which was even mentioned by rangers at the RTR that they ate bull on April 16. No canine or claw marks, sign of struggle etc were spotted on the body,” the officer said.
The Chief Wildlife Warden, while registering a case in the matter against unknown offenders under the Wildlife Protection Act 1972, had also stated that nothing abnormal was found after inspection of the surroundings.
The samples of visceral organs have been sent for pathological and toxicological tests to Regional Forensic Lab, Bharatpur; Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar, Barelli and Laboratory for the Conservation of Endangered Species, Hyderabad. Samples collected for DNA analysis have been sent to Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun and Center for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad.
