Yet Another Tiger Found Dead In Bandipur Reserve, Fifth Death In The Protected Area This Year

A tiger was found dead on the side of a road in Bandipur Tiger Reserve in Karnataka, on Saturday in what appears to be a case of a road accident.

Authorities suspect that the tiger was hit by a speeding vehicle while it was trying to cross the road.?

The tiger had multiple injury marks and fractures on its body, which is said to the result of the carcass being dragged on the road after being hit by the vehicle.

BCCL

This is the fifth tiger that has died in Bandipur since January 2019. Only two of them died of natural causes.

Bandipur is one of the biggest homes of India's national animal and there are around 135 big cats in and around the reserve.

Animals getting killed by speeding vehicles had been a regular occurrence in the protected area, especially during the night.?

This is because of the NH 212 from Kozhikode in Kerala to Mysore in Karnataka passes through the reserve and is a key road link between the two states.?

BCCL

In 2009 the Karnataka HC had ordered a total ban on vehicular movement on the 34.60 km stretch of NH 212 passing through Bandipur National Park between 9 pm to 6 am.

The location where the tiger was killed on Saturday does not fall under the traffic-banned area and is open for vehicular movement, even at night.??

Various attempts by Kerala to resume the night traffic through the reserve had been opposed by environmentalists.

Another proposal to construct an elevated corridor for vehicular movement through Bandipur was also opposed by activists and locals.?

Just last week former Congress President and Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi had courted controversy after he demanded that the ban should be revoked. While raising the issue in the Lok Sabha, Rahul had also asked if the government will consider the proposal for constructing an elevated corridor.?

?Replying to Rahul, Union Minister for Road, Transport, and Highways, Nitin Gadkari said that status quo will be maintained.

The death of yet another tiger is once again likely to amplify the voices environmentalists and wildlife enthusiasts who want the traffic ban to be in place to save the wildlife.