A tigress was found dead near Pataur area in the Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve in Umaria district of eastern Madhya Pradesh, officials said on Wednesday.
The tigress was found dead last evening in the reserve, said the Field Director, C K Patil. He said that the tigress was about eight years old, and did not bear any external injury marks.
Efforts were on to trace its three eight-month-old cubs, he said. They had been spotted on Tuesday.
Mr. Patil said that the tigress' carcass was found near a nullah in Pataur area at about 6 p.m. The Director said that the cause of death of the cat will be ascertained after post-mortem in the evening and viscera examination. The autopsy will take place in the presence of a National Tiger Conservation Authority's representative.
This is the third incident in which the big cat has been found dead in the Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve. In April, a cub was killed after it was hit by a jeep and the next month a tiger was found dead.
