Tiger found dead in Kheri, 2nd in 2 days

PILIBHIT: An adult male tiger was found dead in Imaliya village, about 1km from Gola forest range of South Kheri forest division in Kheri district, on Monday. The recovery comes a day after another adult tiger carcass was found in the Mala forest range of Pilibhit district.Divisional forest officer Tahapas Mihir said the tiger was assessed to be over 10 years old. No external injuries were found on the carcass, and the canines and claws were intact.Forest personnel conducted an intensive search of the surrounding area but found no snares or carcasses of wild boar or small herbivores, reducing the likelihood of poisoning or poaching.The DFO, however, did not rule out infection. He said the tiger may have been affected by canine distemper virus, which is transmitted to wild carnivores through feral dogs or jackals. "Essential samples will be preserved during the autopsy for testing for various infections," he said.The autopsy was conducted at the range headquarters by a panel of three veterinary officers. Representatives of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) and the state's chief wildlife warden were present, in accordance with NTCA's standard operating procedure.Official records show that between May 24, 2012, and June 1, 2024, 26 tiger deaths were reported in Pilibhit district. No tiger deaths were recorded in 2024-25 and 2025-26. The latest case takes the total to 27 since 2012.In addition, 16 leopard deaths were recorded in the district between March 3, 2018, and Dec 31, 2024.The number of tiger deaths in Pilibhit since 2012 exceeds the current tiger population in several reserves across the country, including Dampa in Mizoram (0), Buxa in West Bengal (1), Palamau in Jharkhand (1), Namdapha in Arunachal Pradesh (1), Similipal in Odisha (16), Sariska in Rajasthan (19), and Kalakad Mundanthurai in Tamil Nadu (5).