West Champaran: The body of a four-year-old tigress was discovered on Wednesday morning in compartment N-3 of the Harnatand area under Forest Division-2 of Valmiki Tiger Reserve (VTR), Bihar. The discovery was made by patrolling forest workers and has raised renewed alarm over the frequency of tiger deaths in the region.
Dr Neshamani K, Conservator of Forests and Field Director of VTR, confirmed that the tigress bore multiple wound marks, suggesting a fatal territorial clash with another tiger. Officials believe the second tiger may also have sustained injuries, and tracking teams have been deployed to monitor its condition.
A multidisciplinary team—including DFO Piyush Barnwal, ranger Shivkumar Ram, veterinarian Dr Manoj Kumar Tony, biologist Saurabh Kumar, and other forest staff—was dispatched to investigate the site and oversee the response.
The death adds to a troubling pattern: over the past five years, more than six tigers have died in VTR. These include fatalities from territorial fights, electrocution, and even direct human conflict. Notably, in 2021 alone, several tigers—including a cub and a tigress—died under varying circumstances. In 2022, a tiger was electrocuted, and another, which had killed eight people, was shot. A Royal Bengal Tiger also died in February 2023.
