11 June 2019

A male tiger known as T-75 as well as ST-16, which was found dead on June 8, 2019 at the Sariska Tiger Reserve in Rajasthan's Alwar district, died due to heat stroke and cancer according to the official autopsy report.

The tiger's deaths had evinced protests from conservationists who had claimed that the animal died due to an overdose of trnaquiliser.

“It died due to heat stroke. Close examination also revealed that there might have been septicaemia,” Chief Wildlife Warden of Rajasthan, Arindam Tomar told Down To Earth (DTE).

“A team of experts from the Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, the Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Bareilly and another institute in Bikaner did the autopsy. The tiger had a tumour on the right foreleg which was cancerous. We have sent a sample for biopsy,” Tomar added.

The tiger had been relocated from Ranthambhore Tiger Reserve to Sariska in April, 2019, to balance the sex ratio there.

According to media reports, the tiger had not been well since the past few days. It had reportedly been suffering from paw injuries. It was tranquilised on June 8 and administered medicine. After being revived, it walked for a few steps and then settled at a spot, where it died.

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