Bengaluru, 4 Oct

A day after a tiger was found dead in the Male Mahadeshwara (MM) Wildlife Division, Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre on Saturday directed officials to hold consultations with residents and submit a report on declaring the area a tiger reserve.

The carcass of the 12-year-old tiger, discovered on 3 October, is suspected to have been poisoned, according to preliminary findings.

Forest officials said a suspect has been detained in connection with the case, in which the animal was allegedly chopped into three parts.

“Interrogation is underway, and the actual cause of death will be known soon,” they added. A post-mortem revealed no evidence of snaring or gunshot injuries and confirmed that no body parts were missing, officials said.

Chairing an emergency video conference with forest officers from all tiger reserves and the Mysuru division, Khandre noted that the State Wildlife Board had already approved a proposal to declare MM Hills a tiger reserve.

“Officials must now consult local representatives and submit the final report,” a statement from his office said.