Sundarbans: Tiger suspected to be poached; first such case in 11 years

The animal's body has been sent for post-mortem (Representative Image)  |  Photo Credit: BCCL

Kolkata: For the first time in four years, a Bengal tiger was found dead in the protected space of the Sunderbans in West Bengal on Monday. While reports have suggested that the majestic cat may have fallen prey to a deer trap set up by poachers, officials with the forest department are yet to confirm whether the tiger's death was caused by poaching or not. The last time an unnatural tiger death was reported in the region was in 2008 when a tiger's body, with two bullet injuries in its head, was found floating along the Jhila river.

Speaking to media personnel, a senior official with the West Bengal State Forest Department said that a wire snare was found around the tiger's waist which has led Rangers to believe that the big cat may have mistakenly stepped on a deer trap. The animals' carcass was reportedly found inside compartment 1 of Ajmalmari under the South 24 Parganas forest division. Meanwhile, another official maintained that the sex and age of the tiger could not be determined since the carcass had been decomposing for over 15 days at the time it was discovered by rangers.

West Bengal's wildlife warden Ravi Kant Sinha told Times of India that the tiger's body was discovered by sniffer dog Ikna who is stationed in Sajnekhali after the department secured a tip about poaching activity near Madhya Gurguria village which is not far from the spot where the carcass was found. As per the latest reports, further clarity over the cause of death will only be ascertained only after the release of the post-mortem report. More details are awaited in this regard.

Sinha also told the national daily that tiger deaths often go unreported in Sunderbans owing to the hostility of the terrain. Established as a national park in May of 1984, the Sunderbans National Park spreads over 1,355 kilometres and is home to the largest halophytic mangrove forest in the world. This unique ecosystem houses endangered species such as the Royal Bengal Tigers, estuarine crocodiles, and Ganges river dolphins. However, the death of big cats in a protected area such as the Sunderbans core forest area raises serious questions about the safety of tigers in the Sunderbans. Despite tiger deaths falling in the highest level of protection under the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972, as many as 10 such deaths have been reported from Sunderbans since 2011.