After five months since the discovery of an adult tiger’s carcass in Ambligola dam’s backwater near the Shivamogga-Sagar border on February 17, the case remains unsolved. Although the forest department maintains it was a natural death, their hasty postmortem and burial procedures have raised concerns. The Sagar Forest subdivision has yet to submit reports to both the Forest Minister’s office and NTCA (National Tiger Conservation Authority).
The deceased tiger, a healthy male between 7-8 years old, was discovered floating in Ambligola dam’s backwaters on February 17, approximately 3 kilometres from the Ambligola range forest office. Following local reports, forest staff retrieved the body and conducted an on-site postmortem the following day. Dr Muruli Manohar from Shivamogga Zoo led the examination, with unfamiliar wildlife NGO activists serving as witnesses. After environmentalists raised doubts, Forest Minister Eshwar B Khandre requested a report within 10 days, noting the absence of prior tiger movement in the area.
Subsequently, NTCA Deputy Inspector General Dr Vaibhav Chandra Mathur requested a detailed report following NTCA guidelines. The department currently struggles to establish a conclusive cause of death with substantial evidence.
DCF Sagar division Mohan Kumar said that the report is nearly complete, suggesting territorial conflict as the likely cause.
The once-thriving tiger corridor from Bhadra reserve in Chikkamagaluru to Bellandur forest in Sagar Taluk now stands fragmented by highways and settlements. Despite maintaining forest cover through departmental efforts, the tiger’s presence remains mysterious without prior recorded sightings. The department’s territorial fight theory lacks supporting evidence, and no pellet wounds were documented if poaching occurred. The veterinarian firmly rejected poisoning as a cause. An activist from Rainland Trust told that the department appears dismissive of the situation and we believe it has committed suicide..!
