Bolangir: Forest officials Friday confirmed the death of a male Royal Bengal tiger, which was found inside Chandil reserve forest near Chaulamunda village under Khaprakhol block in this district, as due to heart attack.
It may be noted here that the tiger was found dead in the forest Wednesday. Rumours had it that the carnivore was spotted with blood oozing out of its mouth. Many suspected it might have been shot by poachers.
However, Bolangir District Forest Officer (DFO) Rashmi Ranjan Nayak rubbished the rumours of the big cat being poached by hunters. Preliminary investigation report stated that the carnivore had died due to congestive heart failure also known as heart-attack, he said.
A six-member team conducted the post-mortem repor. On Thursday, the remains of the tiger were consigned to flames in Lathore Range Office campus after post-mortem as per the National Tiger Conservation Authority protocol. The final report of the post-mortem of the tiger is yet to come, while various contrasting views emerged about the origin of the tiger.
The carnivore’s death on Balangir-Nuapada borders threw up crucial questions about the tiger population and their distribution in the region which connects the Central India tiger landscape.
According to DFO, Balangir, Rashmi Ranjan Nayak, during the tiger census in February, no trace of the large cat was found though excreta and pug marks had been recorded. While it is believed to have come from Sunabeda wildlife sanctuary and Gandhamardan range, it is still not clear whether it had inhabited in the forest or had strayed into the area.
Sunabeda mainly benefits from spillover tigers of Madhya Pradhes, Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra that come into Orissa. This population is badly needed by the state to repopulate the tiger habitats that have been left empty after years of mismanagement and lack of conservation.
Earlier, two carcasses of elephants were found dead in the forest. Forest officials buried the carcasses claiming it to have died of anthrax. The incidents spread tension among the wild life lovers who condemned the in indifferent attitude of the forest officials.
Protecting and reviving natural habitats is critical to revive tigers in Orissa as protected areas such as Kariapat and Satkosia landscapes are almost bereft of tigers. In the absence of strong conservation measures, the entire corridor would face threat which in turn would affect the dwindlinf tiger population in the region. PNN
