Tezpur, June 12: A mutilated carcass of a Royal Bengal Tiger, allegedly killed by poachers, was recovered from a sandbar along the Gabharu River in Assam’s Sonitpur district on Thursday, forest officials said.
The carcass, with its tail and all four legs severed, was found near Kochgaon under Thelamara police station area, Divisional Forest Officer Biswa Jyoti Das said.
Forest officials suspect the animal was killed elsewhere, its valuable body parts removed, and the remains dumped in the river to destroy evidence.
“The carcass appears to have drifted downstream several days after the animal’s death, but the manner in which the body was mutilated has led us to suspect foul play,” Das said.
Personnel from the West Sonitpur Forest Division and the Tezpur Forest Range, along with local police, rushed to the site after receiving information. A team from the Wildlife Division and veterinary experts conducted a post-mortem and collected samples for forensic analysis to determine the exact cause of death.
Officials said the tiger measured approximately five feet in length. Following the examination, the carcass was cremated on the banks of the Gabharu River this evening in accordance with wildlife disposal protocols.
The forest department has opened an investigation and is awaiting the forensic report, Das added.
Earlier, on May 30, the carcass of a sub-adult tiger was recovered from the Mihimukh area of Kaziranga National Park and Tiger Reserve. That carcass, found during routine surveillance in the Mihimukh area under the Kaziranga Range at Kohora, was estimated to be four days old when discovered.
With inputs from PTI.
Original Source: https://assamtribune.com/assam/mutilated-royal-bengal-tiger-carcass-recovered-in-sonitpur-poaching-suspected-1612628
Category: Assam,Featured
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Publish Date: 2026-06-12 11:42:00
