Two Tiger Cubs Die of Starvation in Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary
Forest guards on patrolling duty came across dead tiger cubs on a hillock and on examination it was found the cubs might have been abandoned by their mother which led to the deaths.
Bengaluru: Two tiger cubs born about 10-days back were found dead at Kirubanakallu of Hanur range of Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary in Chamarajanagar district on Monday while the carcasses of tiger cubs were cremated after necropsy on Tuesday by Sanctuary officials in presence of representatives of National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA).
Forest guards on patrolling duty came across dead tiger cubs on a hillock and on examination it was found the cubs might have been abandoned by their mother which led to the deaths. The abandoned cubs not fed by their mother might have died owing to starvation, forest officials suspected.
ACF Mariswamy told Deccan Chronicle combing of the vicinity was done to find the cause of death of the tiger cubs which included a male but nothing suspicious was found.
“We came across scratches of tigress markings on a tree close to where the carcasses of tiger cubs were found. Pug marks were a bit difficult to track since the surface is very dry,” said the ACF and stated “Usually, a mother abandons its cubs if they are found to be weak.”
“It was a natural death,” ACF said. However, samples of the carcasses have been subjected for lab tests to find the exact cause of deaths.