PATNA, MAY 10:A royal Bengal tiger died of severe stress after being trapped in an iron mesh laid by poachers in Bihar’s Valmikinagar Tiger Reserve on Saturday afternoon.

The tiger’s leg was entangled in the trap on Friday night and forest officials came to know of it on Saturday morning. By the time they reached with medical help, the tiger had died. Forest officials said the tiger was 20 years old and 9 feet long.

“The right front leg of the tiger was caught in the iron trap. He must have struggled through the night to free himself. By the time we got to know of the incident, it was too late. The tiger had died due to severe stress,” the Chief Conservator of the Forest said.

DFO Surendra Singh said they suspected that the poachers might have come from the Nepal side. “An FIR under the Wildlife Protection Act has been registered against unknown poachers,” he added.

Valmikinagar Tiger Reserve spread over an area of over 335 sq km is the country’s 18th forest reserve and is located on the northern tip of West Champaran district of Bihar. Tiger census reports have shown that the strength of tigers in the forest reserve has dwindled from 53 in 1997 to 33 at present mainly due to poaching. With this tragic incident, the strength now stands at 32.

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