Bahraich, Uttar Pradesh: The carcass of an adult tiger has been recovered from the Saryu canal in the Motipur range of Katarniaghat Wildlife Division, with preliminary examination pointing to severe internal injuries that may have resulted from a vehicle collision.
The tiger, estimated to be eight to nine years old, was spotted floating near Hasulia bridge by patrolling forest personnel on Saturday afternoon. The carcass was subsequently retrieved following National Tiger Conservation Authority guidelines.
Severe Internal Injuries Found
A postmortem was conducted by a panel comprising veterinary doctors, representatives of the district administration and independent wildlife experts.
Preliminary findings indicated blunt-force trauma and serious internal injuries. A collision with a vehicle is one possibility being investigated, although officials have not yet established the exact circumstances of the tiger’s death.
Importantly, the tiger’s claws, canine teeth and other body parts were found intact, providing no immediate indication that body parts had been removed.
Samples Sent to IVRI
Tissue, viscera and other biological samples have been sent to the Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI), Bareilly, for toxicological and tissue examination.
These tests are expected to help investigators determine whether poisoning, disease or some other factor contributed to the death.
Search for Possible Vehicle Begins
Katarniaghat divisional forest officer Apoorv Dixit said a departmental case has been registered under relevant provisions of the Wildlife Protection Act against an unidentified person.
Officials have also begun investigating the possibility of a vehicle being involved and are searching for the vehicle concerned.
Second Such Incident in Nine Years
The latest death has an unsettling precedent.
According to a separate report, another male tiger was found dead in a branch of the same Saryu canal system in August 2017. That animal was around two years old, and investigators at the time suspected poisoning and trapping.
The recurrence puts renewed attention on wildlife movement around the canal network and adjoining areas of Katarniaghat.
Investigation Must Establish What Happened
For now, describing the death conclusively as a roadkill would be premature.
The evidence indicates major blunt-force injuries and investigators suspect that a vehicle collision could have been responsible. But whether the tiger was struck by a vehicle, injured in some other way before entering the canal, or died from another cause will become clearer only after the IVRI laboratory findings and departmental investigation are completed.
The NTCA requires tiger deaths to be investigated through postmortem, forensic and other evidence before the final cause of mortality is determined.
For a landscape supporting one of India’s most iconic predators, the death is also a reminder that protecting tigers involves not only securing forests, but making the roads, canals and other infrastructure cutting through wildlife landscapes safer for animals on the move.
Source: The Times of India; additional reporting: Amar Ujala. Cause of death remains under investigation.
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