By IANS,
Jaipur : An eight-year-old tigress has been found dead in the Ranthambore national park in Sawai Madhopur district of Rajasthan, a forest official said Tuesday.
The carcass of the tigress, that had two cubs aged between eight and 11 months, was found in a mutilated condition Monday.
“Preliminary investigations suggest that the tigress must have died two or three days ago in a fight with another wild cat over territory,” a forest official said, adding that cause of death could only be ascertained after an autopsy.
Ranthambore National Park, about 175 km from here, covers an area of around 400 sq km. It was declared a wildlife sanctuary in 1957 and got the status of a national park in 1981.
As per a 2007 census, the tiger population in the park has increased to 32 from 26 in 2005. This number does not include cubs, which are estimated to be around 14. This increase in population has resulted in increasing clashes between tigers over territories.
Tigers are territorial and fiercely defensive. A tigress may have a territory of 20 sq km while the territories of males are much larger, covering 40 to 80 sq km. However, territory varies from forest to forest, depending on the ecology of that area. Male territories may overlap those of many females, but males are intolerant of other tigers within their territory.