Two big cats dead in Rajasthan

Two male tigers have died in separate incidents in the tiger reserves of Sariska and Ranthambore in Rajasthan over the past two days, officials said today.

A 13-year old tiger died after he was rescued from a village in Khandar area near Ranthambore National Park in Sawai Madhopur district today.

"The tiger strayed and went close to a village where people surrounded him. A team of the forest department tranquilised and shifted him to a forest area, but he died after some time," Y K Sahu, chief conservator of forest (Sawai Madhopur), said.

Another four-year-old male feline was found dead in a farm near the Sariska Torest Reserve in Alwar district yesterday.

The tiger prima facie died of strangulation after getting stuck in a wire trap, placed by a farmer to stop wild animals from damaging his crop, said Govind Bharadwaj, chief conservator of forest (Alwar).

The farmer had been arrested after he surrendered before the forest department. He was booked under the Wildlife Protection Act, Bharadwaj said, adding that the accused was being interrogated to ascertain if it was a case of poaching.

The post-mortem reports of the two tigers were awaited, the officials said.