Bhubaneswar: December 08: Royal Bengal Tiger ‘Mahavir’ was victim of poaching. The preliminary investigation by a two-member central team has revealed this in their report.
Dr Amit Mallick, Inspector General of Forest, National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) and K Ramesh from Wildlife Institute of India (WII) in their report said that the tiger T1 died after it was caught in traps mostly used by poachers.
The investigating team ruled out tiger succumbing due to natural death or any possible infighting with another dominant male after talking to villagers, screening the site, looking at camera trap photos, direct sightings and indirect evidences.
Earlier, it was said by the officials of Odisha government that, three-year-old Mahavir died due to infection and multiple organ failure.
“The ante-mortem wound in the neck region was infested with maggots and the subsequent infection had led to septicaemia, resulting in multiple organ failure,” the post-mortem report released by the forest department said.
‘Mahavir’ was tranquilized in Kanha Tiger Reserve on June 20 and was later relocated 800 kilometers away to Satkosia on June 21. After a few days in Raiguda enclosure, the wild cat was freed into the forest area.
