Kaziranga National Park: A forest department employee has been suspended for ”unwarranted firing” that led to the death of a Royal Bengal Tiger

A forest department employee has been suspended for ”unwarranted firing” that led to the death of a Royal Bengal Tiger at the Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve in Assam a few days ago, according to a statement. The post-mortem conducted on the carcass revealed a bullet injury through the lungs and the heart, causing the death of the Royal Bengal Tiger.

“An inquiry conducted by the Assistance Conservator of Forests into the incident revealed that the firing was unwarranted, based on which the staff was suspended,” the statement issued by the Kaziranga National Park authorities said on Sunday.

The carcass of the male tiger was found near Japoripothar, under Kohora range of the National Park, on June 18 by the staff of the Bheroni camp. The tiger had died of a gunshot injury during a conflict the previous day. The tiger had killed a cow in the area on June 17, and the staff from Bheroni, called in by the villagers, had fired to scare it away.

The inquiry further revealed that the tiger was an old one, with three worn out canines and one missing, because of which it had probably killed the cow.