A dead tiger that was buried in the forest of Nawalpur without a post-mortem was exhumed and examined by a team of experts on Saturday. The tiger, which was found in a pit in Madhyabindu-10, Arunkhola, a week ago, was suspected to have died of poisoning.
The Division Forest Office had initially buried the tiger on Friday, claiming that it had started to rot and could not be transported. However, this decision drew criticism from wildlife activists and conservationists, who demanded an investigation into the cause of death of the endangered animal.
Following the pressure, the National Parks and Wildlife Department instructed the forest office to conduct a post-mortem on the tiger. A team comprising Kiranbabu Rizal, a veterinary technician of the National Nature Conservation Fund, and Dinesh Dhakal of the Chitwan National Park, arrived at the site and performed the autopsy.
According to Rizal, the tiger showed no signs of external injuries or wounds, indicating that it might have died after consuming poisoned food. He said that the samples collected from the tiger would be sent to the Central Forensic Science Laboratory of Nepal Police for further analysis. He added that the results could take at least a week, as the tiger had reached the stage of rotting.
The tiger, which measured 106 inches in length and 64 inches in girth, was an adult male. It was one of the rare tigers that inhabit the forests of Nawalpur, which are part of the Terai Arc Landscape, a transboundary conservation area between Nepal and India.
