Odisha tiger died due to wound on neck, says report after autopsy

BHUBANESWAR: The post-mortem report on the death of 3-year-old male tiger MB2 (Mahavir), whose carcass was found in the Odisha’s Satkosia reserve on November 14, says the big cat died due to multiple organ failure triggered by a maggot-infested deep wound on the animal’s neck.

Mahavir was brought to Satkosia tiger reserve from Madhya Pradesh in June this year as part of India’s first inter-state relocation of tigers.

The post-mortem of the carcass was done the next day in the presence of tiger reserve officials and the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) representative Biswajit Mohanty.

“...The ante-mortem wound on neck region was infested with maggots and subsequent infection led to septicaemia resulting in multiple organ failure...,” said the three-page post-mortem report accessed by HT. The report said death happened 24-48 hours before November 15.

Tiger experts said the postmortem report pointed to metal snares laid by poachers as the possible reason for the wound on the animal’s neck. “After landing in the snare, the animal would have tried to extricate itself, hurting its neck...,” said former director of Project Tiger PK Sen. Biswajit Mohanty, former member of National Board of Wildlife and NTCA representative at the tiger’s post-mortem, also corroborated Sen.

Chief wildlife warden Sandeep Tripathy said the NTCA and WII team during their recent visit examined all these details and found no issue.

THE WOUND ON THE NECK WAS INFESTED WITH MAGGOTS AND SUBSEQUENT INFECTION LED TO SEPTICAEMIA RESULTING IN MULTIPLE ORGAN FAILURE