Ranthambore Tiger Dies: Territorial Fight Suspected

In Rajasthan's Ranthambore Tiger Reserve, the carcass of a four-and-a-half-year-old male tiger, RBT-2402, was found on Tuesday. This discovery occurred nearly six weeks after the tiger was first reported missing. The highly decomposed remains were identified during routine patrols in a rugged forest area known as Peeli ka Khad atop Hindwad Hill.

Forest teams recovered the carcass, a process complicated by the steep, rocky terrain. Initial examinations revealed canine bite marks, strongly suggesting a violent encounter. The presence of multiple tigers in the vicinity recently has led officials to suspect a territorial clash, a common cause of mortality for dispersing male tigers competing for resources.

While the area has a history of poaching, forest officials have currently ruled out human involvement due to the nature of the injuries. A post-mortem was conducted, followed by cremation of the remains as per standard procedure. The deceased tiger was reportedly offspring of tigress T-99.