Charred Tiger Carcass Found Near Irai Dam, T-24 Feared Dead

Chandrapur: A charred carcass of an adult tiger was found near Irai Dam, close to Bhamdeli village in the Moharli (buffer) Forest Range of the Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve on Monday. The area had recently been engulfed by a fire, reportedly caused by the residual burning of agricultural waste on a nearby farm.
However, the forest department claimed that the tigress did not die due to the fire, and the blaze erupted after the animal's death. The carcass was discovered during a routine patrol in the Sitarampeth beat area. Upon receiving the information, senior officials, including ACF Sanket Wathore, RFO (Moharli) Santosh Thipe, NTCA representative Bandu Dhotre, PCCF representative Mukesh Bhandakkar, and veterinary experts Dr Kundan Podchelwar, Dr Purushottam Kadukar, and Milind Jakkulwar, rushed to the spot.
Officials confirmed that the tiger's claws, teeth, and bones were found intact. A postmortem examination indicated that the animal had died approximately 15 to 20 days ago. Burnt larvae found on the carcass further supported the theory that the fire broke out after the tiger's death.
Earlier, on March 31, a grassland fire had spread to the Irai Dam area after a farmer burned agricultural residue in his field.
RFO Thipe noted that regular sightings of tigress T-24 and her three cubs were reported in the area until March 16. However, after the cubs turned two years old and separated from their mother, T-24 has not been seen. The charred carcass is suspected to be that of tigress T-24.
The remains have been sent to the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), Hyderabad, for DNA analysis to confirm the identity and ascertain the exact cause of death. A forest offence has been registered, and further investigation is underway under the supervision of RFO Thipe.
This marks the 20th tiger death in Maharashtra this year, with eight reported from Chandrapur district alone.