Two tiger cub deaths reported in Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary, days after five tiger deaths in MM Hills

Two 15-day-old tiger cubs died of starvation in Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary, Chamarajanagar, after being separated from their mother, days after five tiger deaths in nearby Malai Mahadeshwara sanctuary.

Chamarajanagar: The Chamarajanagara district, still reeling from the shocking death of five tigers in the Malai Mahadeshwara Wildlife Sanctuary in June, has been hit by yet another tragedy. Two tiger cubs have been found dead in the Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary’s Holemuradatti beat, near Kirubanakallu Hill, reportedly due to starvation after being separated from their mother.

According to forest officials, patrol staff discovered the carcass of a male cub during a routine round on Monday. On Tuesday , a female cub’s body was located near a cave in the same area. Both cubs are believed to have been around 7-10 days old at the time of their deaths.

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Preliminary autopsy findings indicate that the cubs, separated from their mother, succumbed to hunger and exhaustion. “The post-mortem revealed no external injuries or signs of poisoning. It appears the mother abandoned them, leading to starvation,” Mysuru CCF T Heeralal told Telangana today.

The incident has caused fresh concern among wildlife lovers and conservationists, coming so soon after the widely publicized MM Hills case. On June 26, five adult tigers in the Huggya wildlife range of the Malai Mahadeshwara Wildlife Sanctuary were found dead, suspected to have been poisoned. That case prompted a high-level investigation, resulting in several arrests.

The back-to-back tiger deaths have raised urgent questions about habitat safety, poaching threats, and the effectiveness of monitoring in the region’s tiger reserves. Forest authorities have cremated the cubs as per the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) guidelines, and field staff have been instructed to intensify patrols in the area.

Wildlife activists have expressed shock over the repeated tiger fatalities, warning that such losses could have a serious impact on the region’s tiger population if preventive measures are not strengthened immediately.