Second tiger carcass found in Kaziranga National Park within five days

Guwahati: Less than a week after the recovery of a tiger carcass, another dead tiger has been found in Assam’s Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve (KNPTR), officials said on Monday.

An official of the KNPTR said that the carcass of a tigress, aged approximately three to four years, was recovered on Sunday afternoon from the Kathpora area of the Bagori Western Range.

Following the discovery, KNPTR Director Sonali Ghosh constituted a committee to conduct the post-mortem examination and ensure disposal of the carcass in accordance with the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA).

Preliminary findings of the post-mortem examination suggested that the female tiger died due to infighting.

Earlier, on January 14, the carcass of a young male Royal Bengal tiger, aged approximately two to three years, was detected at Thute Chapori in the Eastern Range, Gamiri, under the Biswanath Wildlife Division of the KNPTR.

The carcass was spotted by staff of the Gopaljarani Anti-Poaching Camp during routine patrolling. Acting promptly, the KNPTR Director constituted a committee to oversee the post-mortem examination and disposal of the carcass as per NTCA guidelines.

Preliminary veterinary examination indicated that the death could have occurred due to natural causes or infighting.

Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve, India’s seventh UNESCO World Heritage Site, is home to the famed ‘Big Five’.

As per the latest estimates, the park shelters 2,613 greater one-horned rhinoceroses (2022 census), 104 Bengal tigers (2022), 1,228 Asian elephants (2024), 2,565 wild water buffaloes (2022), and 1,129 eastern swamp deer (2022).

Spread across the districts of Golaghat, Nagaon, Sonitpur and Biswanath, the park generated revenue of over Rs 10.90 crore in 2024-25 and more than Rs 8.81 crore in 2023-24.

The KNPTR comprises three forest divisions — Eastern Assam Wildlife Division (Bokakhat), Biswanath Wildlife Division (Biswanath Chariali), and Nagaon Wildlife Division (Nagaon).

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday laid the foundation stone for the ambitious Rs 6,950-crore Kaziranga Elevated Corridor project.

The initiative aims to ensure safe wildlife movement across the KNPTR, reduce road accidents on National Highway-715, boost eco-tourism and generate local employment.

The project is part of the four-laning of the Kaliabor-Numaligarh section of NH-715 and includes around 34.45 km of elevated, wildlife-friendly corridors, along with bypasses at Jakhalabandha and Bokakhat.

The Prime Minister also reviewed a model of the proposed Kaziranga Elevated Corridor.

IANS