Kaziranga Records Third Tiger Death in Five Months, Infighting Suspected

Guwahati: Kaziranga National Park has reported the death of a female Royal Bengal tiger, marking the third such fatality in the past five months where infighting is suspected to be the cause. The carcass was recovered on Sunday afternoon from the Kathpora area of the West Range of Bagori, forest officials confirmed.

According to officials, the tiger’s body was discovered at around 4 pm during routine monitoring. Following standard protocol, the park authorities immediately constituted a committee to oversee the post-mortem examination and the disposal of the carcass in accordance with the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) laid down by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA).

A senior forest official stated that preliminary findings from the post-mortem indicate that the tiger likely died due to injuries sustained during a territorial fight with other tigers. “Initial observations suggest infighting as the cause of death. This is the third tiger death attributed to infighting within the park in recent months,” the official said.

Earlier, on January 3, 2026, another female Royal Bengal tiger was found dead inside Kaziranga, with officials attributing the cause of death to a similar territorial clash. In August last year, two tiger carcasses were recovered from different ranges of the park, one from Bagori and another from Burapahar. While the Bagori tiger was reported to have died due to old age, the Burapahar case was also linked to infighting.

Forest officials emphasised that such incidents, though unfortunate, are not uncommon in high-density tiger habitats. According to the latest estimation conducted last year, Kaziranga National Park is home to around 148 Royal Bengal tigers, making it one of the highest tiger density areas in the world.

“Infighting among tigers is a natural behaviour, particularly in regions with a healthy and growing population. These conflicts usually occur due to territorial expansion and competition, especially among adults,” an official explained.

Park authorities have reiterated their commitment to closely monitoring tiger movements and ensuring strict adherence to conservation protocols to safeguard the iconic species.

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