Young tiger hit by speeding truck, found dead near Rajaji

DEHRADUN: A five-year-old male tiger was killed in a road accident on Haridwar-Najibabad highway, close to Rajaji Tiger Reserve, after being hit by a speeding truck. While many wild animals have been killed in accidents on the busy road, this is the first instance where a tiger death has been recorded. The carcass found on Saturday has shocked forest department officials as the animal is believed to have ventured into the road from nearby Rajaji reserve, which has only 13 tigers. The big cat was believed to be moving towards Haridwar forest division to find a partner to mate.
The tiger, lying on the road and bleeding profusely, was spotted by forest staff on Saturday night which then informed divisional forest officer (Haridwar) H K Singh. A team of senior forest department officials led by Singh reached the spot, but the animal had died by then. Principal chief conservator of forests (PCCF) Rajender Mahajan and PCCF (wildlife) DVS Khati also visited the accident site later.

“The bones and ribs of the tiger were broken at various places. It was a beautiful and healthy young male tiger. We are really saddened over its death in the road accident,” said Khati.

A wildlife official, who did not wish to be named, said, “Wheel marks of a truck are visible on the road. It appears that the tiger was hit hard by the speeding vehicle and the impact flung the animal at a distance. The bones on its neck, mouth, shoulder, and ribs were broken and its teeth were dislocated as well.”

The official said that the vehicle or its driver could not be identified as no eyewitnesses had come forward. He added that the big cat is believed to be from Chilla range of Rajaji and was possibly crossing over to Shyampur range in Haridwar forest division to mate with one of the two tigresses that have their habitat there.

The forest department officials said that they had asked the public works department (PWD) to build speed-breakers on the road many times in the past to stop such accidents but their warning was not heeded.

“We had written to PWD many times in the past to build road barriers to slow down the speed of the passing vehicles. But the department never responded. I am going to send a notice to it regarding the death of the tiger,” said Khati.