5-yr-old Sariska tigress dies in territorial fight

Jaipur/Alwar: A nearly 5-year-old tigress, ST-28, was found dead due to a territorial fight in Sariska Tiger Reserve Monday. Forest officers said the tigress had 8 to 9 deep wounds on her hindquarters, and the death is believed to have occurred about 24 hours earlier.Sariska field director Sangram Singh Katiyar said, "Tigress ST-28 died due to a territorial conflict in the forest area of Beat Dabali under Prithvipura Naka of Akbarpur Range of the Sariska Tiger Project."The carcass was discovered on a hilltop in the Dabali forest area, and last rites were performed according to National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) protocols in the presence of revenue officials, police personnel, and local villagers.A senior forest officer indicated that the fight may have involved either her mother, ST-14, or another tigress, ST-17. Sources suggest the clash was likely over territorial dominance, with ST-17 reportedly inflicting severe blows to the hind legs of ST-28. The postmortem was conducted at the Kalakadi outpost, confirming that all organs were intact and no suspicious circumstances were involved.ST-28 was the daughter of tigress ST-14, who has 3 female offspring—ST-26, ST-27, and ST-28. ST-28 had not given birth to any cubs. Wildlife experts say that territorial conflicts typically occur between tigers of the same sex, while male-female encounters are rare and usually limited to mating."The tigress's body, found about a day after death, showed no signs of decay or maggots. Following NTCA protocols, all legal and departmental formalities were completed at the site," the officer said.