Bhopal: A nine-year-old tiger named Pujari, known for its friendly behavior towards tourists, died in an apparent territorial fight in Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve on Monday morning. This incident has brought the total number of tiger deaths in Madhya Pradesh's various reserves this year to 33.
Incident Details
According to forest officials, security personnel at Dhamdhama camp in the West Bagdari beat of Khitouli range under Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve heard sounds of tigers fighting around 6:30 am on Monday. Upon receiving the alert, a patrolling team conducted an intensive search in the Dhamdhama area and discovered a dead tiger in the forest.
Senior forest officials who performed a preliminary inspection from a distance suspected that the tiger died due to a territorial conflict. Injury marks were found on the tiger's body, but all body parts were intact, ruling out poaching at first glance. The area was immediately cordoned off, and elephant patrol teams, dog squads, and metal detector teams were deployed for further investigation.
Official Procedures
Officials stated that all subsequent actions were carried out according to the guidelines and Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) issued by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA). A team of veterinarians later conducted an examination and postmortem of the carcass.
Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve field director Anupam Sahay told TOI, “It was a nine-year-old male tiger named Pujari. Pujari was known for his tourist-friendly and photo-friendly behavior. The neck bone was fractured, and there were puncture marks. It is suspected that there was a fight between D1 and Pujari on Monday morning, as D1 also lives in the same territory. It is apparent that the death occurred due to a territorial fight.”
The death of Pujari highlights ongoing challenges in tiger conservation, including territorial disputes among big cats. The reserve authorities continue to monitor the situation and ensure the safety of both wildlife and visitors.
