Bettiah: A male tiger has been found dead in the Valmiki Tiger Reserve (VTR) in West Champaran district, with injury marks on its body indicating a violent encounter. The tiger’s body was discovered on Friday morning in compartment number 46 of the Manguraha forest area. According to the forest department, the eight-year-old tiger likely died during a fight with another tiger.
Forest officials are now searching for the other tiger, who is believed to have sustained serious injuries in the confrontation. The investigation at the scene, based on footprints and the condition of the area, suggests a brutal fight took place between the two big cats.
This is the second such incident in the Valmiki Tiger Reserve in the past five months. The last occurrence was on March 25, when another tiger was found dead under similar circumstances, with officials attributing the death to a violent clash between tigers.
Upon receiving the report of the tiger’s death, senior officials including the Chief Forest Officer (CF) and the Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) arrived at the scene and are currently monitoring the situation. In response to the incident, access to the forest has been restricted to prevent further disturbances.
Pradumna Gaurav, Deputy Director of VTR Division 1, confirmed the death, stating, “A male tiger has died due to a territorial fight between two tigers. The body appears to be two days old.” He added that the viscera will be sent to the Wildlife Institute of India in Dehradun and the Indian Veterinary Research Institute in Bareilly for postmortem and analysis. “The exact cause of death will be determined after the report is received,” he said, noting that the tiger will be cremated following the postmortem.
Veterinarians from VTR who examined the body reported that the tiger had severe wounds on its legs, face, and head, with excessive bleeding likely leading to its death. The forest department is currently reviewing footage from trap cameras in the area and tracking the footprints of the injured tiger, with a team led by Ranger Sunil Kumar Pathak.
