Possible 'revenge killing' behind tiger cub's death: Official

A female tiger cub found dead in Haridwar forest division was killed with sharp weapons somewhere else and the body was dumped near Shyampur range to mislead the investigation, a forest department official said today.

Investigators found discrepancies between the post-mortem examination report and the evidence collected from the site the two-year-old cub was found dead yesterday, Chief Wildlife Warden D V S Khati said.

He said the discrepancies suggest the cub was killed somewhere else and the body was dumped there to mislead the investigation.

Terming it a possible "revenge killing" by Van Gujjars, whose livestock are often attacked by tigers, Khati said a few members of the community have been detained for questioning.

The cub's strong forelegs were found broken as a result of being hit repeatedly by blunt objects, the official said, adding that there was also a deep wound from its head to the neck.

Also, sniffer dogs took investigators to a nearby place where the body of a half-eaten buffalo was found, he said.

This is significant as the Buffalo was fully grown and too big to fall prey to a tiger cub. A female tiger cub is usually dependent on its mother for food up to the age of 2 years, Khati said.

Investigators were worried about the fate of the cub's mother.