The carcass of a sub-adult tiger has been recovered from Assam's Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve, taking the number of tiger deaths reported from the UNESCO World Heritage Site this year to five, officials said on Sunday.
The four-day-old carcass was discovered on Saturday evening during routine surveillance and monitoring operations in the Mihimukh area of the Kaziranga Range at Kohora.
Park authorities immediately initiated the prescribed protocol following the recovery. A committee constituted by KNPTR Director Sonali Ghosh supervised the post-mortem examination and disposal of the carcass in accordance with the Standard Operating Procedure of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA).
However, officials said the advanced stage of decomposition prevented veterinarians from determining the cause of death.
"The cause of death could not be ascertained during the post-mortem examination due to the advanced stage of decomposition," a senior park official said, adding that further investigations were underway.
The latest death has renewed concerns over tiger mortality in the reserve, which is home to one of India's most significant tiger populations. According to the latest estimates, Kaziranga hosts 104 Bengal tigers.
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The first tiger death this year was reported on January 14, when the carcass of a young male Royal Bengal tiger, aged between two and three years, was found at Thute Chapori in the Eastern Range under the Biswanath Wildlife Division. Preliminary veterinary findings suggested natural causes or infighting.
Four days later, on January 18, the carcass of a tigress aged around three to four years was recovered from the Kathpora area of the Bagori Western Range. Post-mortem findings indicated infighting as the probable cause of death.
On February 7, another male tiger, estimated to be 12 to 13 years old, was found dead near the Mandir Baneshwar Anti-Poaching Camp in the Burapahar Range at Ghorakati. Preliminary examinations again pointed to infighting.
Kaziranga, India's seventh UNESCO World Heritage Site, is renowned for its population of greater one-horned rhinoceroses and is also home to the Bengal tiger, Asian elephant, wild water buffalo and eastern swamp deer.
Wildlife officials have launched a detailed inquiry into the latest death, which is expected to draw close scrutiny from conservationists amid concerns over recurring tiger fatalities in the protected area.
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