21 November 2011

The male tiger "B2", who became a legend in Bandhavgarh National Park, died yesterday after a territorial fight with another tiger some distance away from the Park. He had not been seen in Bandhavgarh for the past eight months.

B2 was the son of the tigress known as "Sita" who was one of the most photographed wild tigers in the world. B2 is believed to be the offspring of "Charger", another celebrated male tiger of Bandhavgarh.  At the grand old age of 14 years (he would have completed 15 years in March 2012), B2 was rescued yesterday, on 20 November, by a team from Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve near Chouri village in Shahdol District of Madhya Pradesh. He was found with multiple injuries on his body and legs, apparently after a territorial fight with another tiger. B2 died after being transported to Shahdol. A villager was injured by a tiger in the same area on 18 November.

Central India has tragically lost four adult wild tigers in the past two and a half weeks, two at the hands of poachers.

Yesterday, on 20 November, another four to five year old male tiger was trapped and killed in a wire snare in Patanbori Range of Pandharkawda Territorial Division in Yeotmal District in Maharashtra. The tiger appears to have died in a series of wire snares that had been set up by local poachers to kill herbivores, just 500 feet from the border of the Tipeshwar Wildlife Sanctuary.

On 15 November, a tigress was found dead near Jamunapani village in Bhoramdeo Wildlife Sanctuary (a part of the Kanha Tiger Reserve landscape) in Kawardha District of Chhattisgarh.  Poisoning is suspected to be the cause of death and visceral samples have been sent for forensic examination. A hole was also found on one flank and a broken rib, leading sources in the Forest Department to believe that this could be an injury from a spear. The tigress' canines and claws were allegedly recovered from two villagers and three Forest Department chowkidars (temporary guards), who are now being questioned by the Department.

On 3 November, another tigress who is believed to be about six years old was found dead in a farm on the banks of the Wainganga River in Saoli Range of Brahmapuri Territorial Division in Maharashtra. The tigress had died of electrocution after she chewed at an electric cable supplying power to a water pump.