A pseudo-melanistic tigress, approximately five years old, was found dead in Similipal
Tigress found dead in Similipal Tiger Reserve: A female tiger, estimated to be around five years old, was found dead in the core area of Similipal Tiger Reserve (STR) in Mayurbhanj district on Saturday.
According to the Reserve Authorities, a female tiger, approximately five years old and identified as pseudo-melanistic, was found dead in the UBK range of Similipal South Division near Jatiani camp in the core area of Similipal Tiger Reserve, as informed the reserve authorities. The patrolling staff of the Jatiani camp discovered the carcass around 5 pm on August 6, 2026.
Regional Chief Conservator of Forests (RCCF) and Field Director of the Similipal Tiger Reserve (STR) Dr Prakash Chand Gogineni, immediately inspected the spot and initiated an investigation. A post-mortem examination was conducted on 7 August strictly in accordance with the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) Standard Operating Procedure.
Subsequently, the area was secured and all prescribed biological samples were collected for laboratory examinations. Preliminary observation showed that the carcass was fresh and bore no injury marks or other obvious external causes of death.
Gogineni said, ‘The collected biological samples have been forwarded to the Centre for Wildlife Health at Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology (OUAT), Bhubaneswar, for detailed laboratory examination. The exact cause of death will be ascertained only after the laboratory reports are received.’
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