Tigress found dead in wildlife sanctuary
The Hindu
Big cat suspected to have died in fight with porcupine
Staff Reporter
KALPETTA
A tigress, aged around 11 years, was found dead in the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary (WWS) on Saturday morning.
The carcass was found by some drivers inside the sanctuary at Onnampalam in the Tholpetty forest range under the sanctuary during a safari with tourists.
The big cat is suspected to have died in a fight with a porcupine as its quills were found on the carcass, Jose Mathew, Assistant Conservator of Forests, told The Hindu. The tiger had been found in a weak state for the past two weeks in the area and it was under the surveillance of the officials, Mr. Jose said.
A team of veterinarians led by Forest assistant veterinary officer Ajith Mohan autopsied the carcasses as per the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) protocol. Mr. Jose supervised the autopsy.