Assam: Female tiger found dead in Kaziranga National Park

The carcass of a female tiger was discovered on January 4 in the Paschim Bimoli area of the Western Range, Bagori, within Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve in Assam, officials said.
According to park authorities, the carcass was found well inside the protected area, and initial assessment indicates the death was caused by natural conflict. Kaziranga National Park Director and Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Arun Vignesh said a post-mortem examination was carried out by a constituted committee, strictly following the standard operating procedures of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA).
“The preliminary findings strongly suggest that the tigress died due to infighting, which is a common natural cause among big cats in the wild,” Vignesh said.
Meanwhile, in a separate incident, security personnel of the Biswanath Wildlife Division of Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve had earlier recovered the bones of a Royal Bengal Tiger and arrested five persons for illegal possession and attempting to sell the wildlife parts.
Field Director Dr Sonali Ghosh said the recovery was made from the possession of Depen Pegu, a resident of Simaluguri Baligaon in the Gohpur area. The operation was conducted jointly by teams from the Eastern Range, Gamaria, and the Crime Investigation Range, Panibharal, of the Biswanath Wildlife Division.
“A total of five accused persons were apprehended on November 22, while they were attempting to sell the wild animal trophy,” Dr Ghosh said.
The arrested persons were identified as Eilaram Doley, Ripun Pegu, Kerani Kaman, Pulish Kutum and Depen Pegu. Investigations revealed that the accused were allegedly in contact with past offenders involved in rhino poaching cases, raising serious concerns over organised wildlife crime networks operating in the region.
Forest officials said further investigation is underway, and strict legal action will be taken under the Wildlife (Protection) Act. Authorities reiterated that Kaziranga continues to maintain heightened vigilance to curb poaching and ensure the protection of its iconic wildlife.