Forest Guard Witnessed Suspension As He Killed A Tiger In Unwarranted Firing

An investigation by a forest authority indicated that the death of an adult male tiger last week on the outskirts of Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve (KNPTR) in Assam took place due to the unnecessary firing of the forest personnel.

According to a statement released by KNPTR on Sunday, an investigation into the incident by an assistant conservator of forests determined that the firing was unjustified, and the forest staff responsible for the killing witnessed suspension as a result of the findings. A post-mortem of the body confirmed bullet injuries to the animal's lungs and heart which led to his death.

The tiger had murdered a cow the day before it was shot, possibly because it had three worn-out teeth while one was missing.

Meanwhile, as per the forest authorities, the body of a 10-year-old tiger with a bullet wound was discovered on June 18 in Japoripathar hamlet, adjacent to the park's Kohora range. The fatality was initially attributed to accidental firing while attempting to scare the tiger away from the public area.

However, this year, three tiger carcasses were discovered in KNPTR. The body of a four-year-old male tiger was discovered earlier this month in the park's Sidha Kathani section.

The forest officials explained that the tiger died after experiencing serious injuries during a battle with another male tiger. The carcass had several injury marks and scars on it, and it was said that the tiger died after suffering painful injuries during a struggle with another male tiger.

The forest official also mentioned that in February, a female tiger cub's carcass was discovered in the park, with puncture marks on her neck and fractured ribs. The 4-month-old cub may have been killed by a larger tiger. According to the 2017 census, Kaziranga had 111 tigers.