Two tigers were found dead within the limits of Anamalai Tiger Reserve (ATR) in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, on Thursday.
The tigers, a male and a female aged around eight, were found dead in the Pollachi forest range of ATR. The carcasses of the big cats were found in the Pothamadai forest beat and a forest area named Pungan Odai. According to forest officials, the carcasses of the tigers did not have visible injuries.
Officials said that the cause of death of the tigers could be ascertained only after the post-mortem which started around 9 a.m. on Thursday in the presence of senior officials of the tiger reserve and representatives from non-governmental organisations.
As per the Management Effectiveness Evaluation (MEE) Report of Tiger Reserves 2018 by the National Tiger Conservation Authority, the ATR with a core area of 958.59 sq km was ranked fourth among the 50 tiger reserves in the country with an MEE rating of 89.06 %.
