Tiger cub found dead from Kanha Tiger Reserve

A sad news from Kanha.

Tiger cub found dead from Kanha Tiger Reserve

A female tiger cub was found dead on Sunday in Sondar area of Kanha Tiger Reserve in eastern Madhya Pradesh, officials said.

"After a forest guard experienced a foul smell from the forest area, he searched and found the dead cub, possibly 22 days old in the Kisli range of the Reserve, the Park Officiating Field Director A K Nagar said.

He said that a cut has been found near the stomach of the cub, adding that it appears that some carnivorous might had killed it yesterday.

The carnivorous, possibly a jackal might have attacked the cub when it was alone, Nagar said, adding that tigress often leave cubs while going after its prey, Nagar said.

The post-mortem of the cub had been carried out according to the guidelines of the National Tiger Conservation Authority, he said, adding that autopsy report was awaited.

"We have collected the viscera of the cub for forensic test," he said.

The mortality rate of the cubs was high and half of its population is lost before attaining adulthood, he said.

Link - http://www.hindustantimes.com/Tiger-...e1-554049.aspx

It is a tough life for tigers. Most of the deaths happen during the cub and then adolescent stage of their life. Tiger needs inviolates spaces, so that their cubs can be safely hidden away from the sight of man or any other animal. If the prey density is less, then the tigress mother has to be out on her hunting trips for a longer period of time, increasing the risk to the cubs.

A few months back an adolescent tiger was killed by another tiger in Kanha. The attributed it to too many tigers in the park. We all know from history that if the prey density is high, then the tiger density (ie. number of tigers per square kilometer) is higher. So on the surface, the death of the tiger cub may be due to inexperience of its mother, or killed by a jackal etc. However, I feel one needs to delve deeper into the cause and in that case may find that not everything is well in the park.

Sabyasachi