The toxicology report of the poisoning of a tiger and tigress, within the limits of Anamalai Tiger Reserve (ATR) near Coimbatore in April, has shed light on finer details of the killings.
Dead flies found on the carcass of a wild boar, presumably kept as a bait for the two tigers, were also among samples collected by the veterinarians, for laboratory analysis.
Toxicological analysis showed the presence of the same poison in the dead flies, samples of the wild boar and the two big cats, said an official, who was part of the investigation.
“Even before autopsy, we suspected that poisoning could be the cause of death, as hundreds of dead flies were found on and around the remains of the wild boar. Some dead flies were taken as samples for test and results proved that the flies too died of the same poison, traces of which were found in samples taken from the remains of the wild boar and the big cats,” said the officer.
Though the accused had claimed that they kept poison in the carcass of the wild boar, a clinical finding was required to confirm it.
Decomposing carcasses of the tiger and tigress, aged around 10, were found at Pothamadai beat of Pollachi forest range of ATR on April 8. The department staff found the carcass of the tiger on the side of a stream in a forest area called Uppumanthittu of Pothamadai beat. The carcass of the tigress was found in a stream named Punganodai, on forest fringes, around one km away. The staff also found remains of a wild boar, flesh of which was found in the stomachs of the two big cats, during postmortem.
The department arrested four persons, who according to officials, kept poison in the carcass of the wild boar. While P. Rasu and C. Karuppusamy, both residents of a village near Pothamadai, were arrested on April 16, two others — D. Vellingiri and M. Murugan — were held on April 23.
The accused had claimed that they kept poison in the carcass of the wild boar to kill other wild boars that come to scavenge the remains to protect agricultural crops from them.
The department also faced allegations that the four persons arrested were mere workers, thus sparing the real accused. Sources from Pollachi said that villagers levelled charges of corruption against an officer of ATR for alleged compromises made in the investigation. The department has denied the allegations.
