Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: A young tigress was found dead on the Kinwat-Nanded railway line on Saturday morning, raising fresh concerns over the growing conflict between expanding tiger habitats and human infrastructure.
Deputy conservator of forests Manisha Patil said there was no evidence of foul play. No evidence of poaching was found and all body parts of the tigress were found intact,” she said. The carcass of the three-to-four-year-old tigress was discovered near Madnapur in the Bodhadi forest range of Kinwat taluka, close to Someshwar Mahadev Temple. Railway staff spotted the carcass on the tracks and alerted forest officials. Preliminary investigations indicate that the tigress was killed after being hit by a speeding train while moving through a natural wildlife corridor. “The carcass was found on the railway line. To rule out any poaching angle, a dog squad was pressed into service at the spot and the area was thoroughly searched.
Officials said at least two tigers have entered Marathwada through such routes in the recent past. Forest officials suspect the animal had strayed into Nanded district from the Painganga Wildlife Sanctuary, which has witnessed a steady rise in tiger population in recent years. The death highlights a growing challenge for wildlife managers. As tiger numbers increase in Painganga and the nearby Tipeshwar Wildlife Sanctuary, big cats are increasingly dispersing into new territories through natural corridors that pass through human settlements, roads and railway tracks.
Protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, the tiger enjoys the highest level of legal protection in India. Stay updated with the latest Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar news. A panel of experts conducted the postmortem in the presence of forest department officials and representatives of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA). Viscera samples were collected for forensic analysis. The tigress was later cremated at Sawari Aghaar. Download the TOI App.