11 Aug, 2020

Panna National Park Loses Its Fifth Tiger in Seven Months

Panna National Park witnessed its fifth tiger death in seven months. The death of the tiger, named P 123, is believed to have been caused by a fight with another tiger over mating with a tigress. The entire episode was witnessed by the forest guard of the park from a watch tower.

Details of the Incident

The death of the tiger P 123, is believed to have been caused by a fight with another tiger named P 431, over mating with a tigress named T 6. The carcass of the tiger was found floating on the River Ken.

The entire episode was witnessed by the forest guard with his binoculars from the watch tower of the park. It must have been quite fascinating for the guard to watch the two tigers fight it out with their claws, fangs and fierce growls. After the fight, the tiger P 123, who was five years old, left the scene and vanished completely from his view.

What Caused the Death of the Tiger P 123?

According to field director of the Panna National Park, KS Bhadoria, the fight was over the mating of the tigress T 6. He said that the tigers P 123 and P 431, were involved in a bloody fight on the riverbank, in which P 123, ultimately lost. The death was most probably caused by drowning after the fight, according to the forest officials.

Although the field staff rushed to the spot shortly after the incident, the heavily injured tiger was nowhere to be found. Even though they sent teams to search for it, they were unable to find any signs of it.

Finally, its caress was found in the Gangau beat of Panna National Park in close proximity to the Hinota Range, about 8 kilometers from the place where the tigers had fought.

What is Causing So Many Tiger Deaths in Panna National Park?

This is the fifth tiger death in Panna National Park in seven months. A few months back, another tiger, P 213, had died in a territorial fight. Its rotting carcass was found three days later.

After exactly about a month, another tiger died in what was suspected to be a territorial fight. Its decomposed carcass was found three to four days later. However, the Field Director, KS Bhadoria, ruled out any “foul play” in any of the three deaths. Sniffer dogs were also deployed to rule out any possibility of poaching.

Panna National Park is home to 42 tigers, 39 of which are in the core area. According to the park director, the number of tigers in the park exceeds its carrying capacity, thereby leading to frequent territorial fights.

News Source: The Times of India