Nagpur: In a baffling incident, two tiger cubs were found dead, a day apart from each other, under Suknegaon beat in Wani taluka of Yavatmal district. Farmers spotted a tiger cub lying dead in the forest area on Wednesday.
The villagers did not go near the carcass fearing an encounter with the mother tigress. They informed the Forest Department. As soon as the information was received, Range Forest Officer Prabhakar Sondawale rushed to the spot with his team. The carcass was found near a pond, some distance from the Revenue Department office in Suknegaon beat. Senior officials were informed who then rushed to the spot. They inspected the surrounding area. At this time, the villagers demanded protection from the tiger fearing an attack due to the presence of a dead cub.
After the panchnama, autopsy was performed by veterinary doctors and then the cub was cremated in the Nilgiri forest of Mandar. It is said that the cub may have died due to starvation.
Meanwhile, yet another tiger carcass, this time a female cub, was found in the same area on Thursday afternoon. It was sent to Gorewada, Nagpur for autopsy. Chief Conservator of Forest Vasant Ghule, Deputy Conservator of Forest, Pandharakawda Kiran Jagtap and In-charge Assistant Conservator of Forest Shankar Hatkar visited the spot. Officials of the Forest Department have speculated that both the cubs may have died due to starvation as they probably got separated from their mother and therefore could not get milk for 3-4 days.
