By ARUN PRATAP SINGH
Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 19 Jun: A juvenile tigress, aged between around one and a half years, was found dead in a drain beneath the Garud Chatti Bridge, bordering Narendranagar Forest Division and Rajaji Tiger Reserve, sparking concern over potential starvation as the cause of death.
The forest officials initially estimated her age between two and two and a half years. However, the post-mortem findings now suggest she was younger and obviously too inexperienced to hunt effectively on her own. Rangers also discovered pieces of cloth in her stomach, hinting at desperation for sustenance, possibly feeding on garbage or inedible waste due to a lack of prey availability.
During the post-mortem, her internal organs appeared intact, and her teeth and claws were healthy, indicating that it was likely to be hunger rather than disease or injury which might have led to her demise. The forest authorities confirmed the presence of cloth in her stomach and noted the animal’s extremely weak condition, reinforcing the theory of prolonged scarcity of food.
It may be recalled that a forest guard noticed the corpse after locals alerted authorities to a foul odour from the drainage beneath the highway. The carcass, lodged deep within the pipe, appeared to have been there for approximately two days before discovery.
The case is still under forensic investigation, and experts are expected to analyse her stripe pattern to determine whether she originated from Rajaji or had drifted from another reserve.
This unfortunate incident is part of a growing number of tiger deaths in Uttarakhand in recent years. Unlike earlier cases where older tigers died due to natural causes or territorial fights, this case involves a very young tigress who was probably separated from her mother too early and could not survive on her own with her own hunting skills not developed. The wildlife conservationists have expressed concern over increasing reports of orphaned tiger cubs failing to survive in the wild. It may be recalled that, usually, the cubs remain under their mother’s care until they are approximately one year old. Forced independence at a younger age, without adequate hunting skills, can prove to be fatal.
Meanwhile, the forest department has reiterated its commitment to monitoring tiger populations in the region, strengthening rescue and rehabilitation measures, and mitigating human–wildlife conflict near reserve boundaries.
Efforts are also being made to map and track tigress movements in peripheral areas and to raise local awareness about the importance of timely reporting any sightings or carcasses.
