Assam – A female tiger was found dead inside Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve on January 4, officials confirmed. The carcass was located in the Paschim Bimoli area of the Western Range, Bagori.
Kaziranga Director and Divisional Forest Officer Arun Vignesh said the tigress’s remains were discovered well within the protected zone. A post-mortem was conducted by an expert committee in line with National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) protocols. “Initial findings point to death caused by infighting, a natural occurrence among big cats in the wild,” Vignesh stated.
In a separate development, forest authorities of the Biswanath Wildlife Division recovered skeletal remains of a Royal Bengal Tiger and arrested five individuals for illegal possession and attempted sale of the animal parts.
Field Director Dr. Sonali Ghosh said the operation was carried out on November 22 in the Gohpur area, where the bones were seized from Depen Pegu of Simaluguri Baligaon. The raid was jointly conducted by teams from the Eastern Range, Gamaria, and the Crime Investigation Range, Panibharal.
The accused—identified as Eilaram Doley, Ripun Pegu, Kerani Kaman, Pulish Kutum, and Depen Pegu—were allegedly linked to known offenders involved in rhino poaching, raising concerns about organised wildlife crime networks operating in the region.
Forest officials confirmed that investigations are ongoing and assured that strict action will be taken under the Wildlife (Protection) Act. Authorities reiterated that Kaziranga remains under heightened surveillance to combat poaching and safeguard its iconic species.
