Two cubs found dead in MP’s tiger reserve

MANDLA: Two tiger cubs were found dead in Kanha Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh on Wednesday, an official said.

The carcasses of the cubs that were just over two months old, were found by a patrolling party of the forest department in Mukki forest range, reserve’s field director L Krishnamurthy said.

“A forest patrol party got the information in the morning about the carcasses of two cubs in Mukki range, after which the team reached the spot,” he said.

The cause of their death will be known only after a forensic test is conducted, he said.

As per the 2014 census report, the Kanha reserve, in Mandla district, housed around 100 tigers.

This comes after Avni, the tigress, was shot dead near Borati village in Maharashtra’s Yavatmal on November 2 after being accused of killing a dozen villagers, capping off one of India’s most high-profile tiger hunts and angering conservation activists.

On November 14, carcass of another tiger was found, in Odisha’s Satkosia reserve.

The three-year-old male tiger Mahavir 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 interstate relocation of tigers.