Tiger crushed by rescuers

CONSERVATION bosses are investigating the death of a tiger that was crushed by an earthmover in a bungled operation by rescue workers to move the endangered animal back to a wildlife park in northern India.

Officials from the National Tiger Conservation Authority questioned workers from the Corbett Wildlife Park, a local zoo and villagers in the Himalayan foothills to determine what caused the tiger’s death.

The big cat had reportedly killed two people near Bailpadav village last week.

Forest rangers tracked the tiger and tranquillised it. But the animal was crushed when rescuers used a digger to try and scoop it up, and return it to the Corbett Reserve.

More than 120 tigers died in India last year.