Tiger cub killed by a buffalo in MP reserve

BHOPAL: A tiger cub was killed by a buffalo in the buffer zone of Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh, said forest officialsonFriday.

It is the second tiger death in the statethisyear.Earlierthismonth,a 10-year old tigress had died due to electrocution in Banas river area near Sanjay-Dubari Tiger Reserve inShahdoldistrict.

Field director of Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve Mridul Pathak told Hindustan Times over phone that the cub was killed when a buffalo punctureditsbellywithitshorn.

“On Thursday, the field staff heardsomecommotioninthePatipirhaareaofthebufferzonecloseto the Shahdol district border. They found that a tigress with its three cubshadaconfrontationwithabuffalo.Thebuffalohitthecubwithits horn due to which the five-sixmonth-oldcubsufferedadeeppuncturewoundinitsbelly,finallyleading to its death. The post-mortem confirmedthedeathhappeneddue tothisdeepwound,”hesaid.

Pathak said the tigress and her twocubsaresafe.Thisistheseventh tiger death in Bandhavgarh since last January and third in last three months.InNovember,amaletiger T37 had jumped a 12-feet fence and killeda20-month-oldtigressinside anenclosureinBandhavgarh.

Inthesamemonth,aseven-yearold tiger was also killed in Bandhavgarh’sPanpathaareadue toelectrocution.