Tigress, four cubs poisoned to death in Karnataka; leads to political row

A tigress and her four cubs were poisoned to death in Karnataka’s Male Mahadeshwara Hills after consuming the flesh of a cow suspected to have been laced with poison, forest officials confirmed on Friday.

The carcasses were discovered on Thursday morning during routine patrols in the Hugyam forest range. The incident has triggered widespread public outrage and political blame games, with the BJP accusing the ruling government of “negligence” in protecting wildlife.

While Chief Minister Siddaramaiah indicated action after receiving the report, Karnataka Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre said no one will be spared.

Senior BJP leader Basavaraj Bommai blamed forest department negligence, alleging that increasing human activity near tiger reserves is putting wildlife at risk.

“People are going on picnics right next to tiger habitats, and yet the Forest Department continues to turn a blind eye,” he claimed.

T Heeralal, Conservator of Forests, Chamaraj Circle, said it has been confirmed that the tigers died after consuming poisoned cow flesh. Lab reports will reveal the nature and quantity of the poison.
Samples from the tigers and the cow have been sent for forensic tests.

Forest officials are investigating whether the cow was poisoned before its death or if poison was applied to its carcass later.

“It’s possible the cattle owner, after spotting the dead cow, laced it with poison,” a forest officer said.

Meanwhile, there are allegations that some forest staff skipped patrols due to delayed wages. Heeralal said this too would be probed.

The forest department has since stepped up surveillance in the Hugyam range with drones, infrared cameras, and GPS-enabled M-STRIPES patrols. Anti-Poaching Camps are on high alert, and intensified sweeps for snares, traps, and poison baits are underway, Khandre added.

A five-member expert team conducted necropsies on the tigers following National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) protocols.

Toxicology, DNA, and histopathology tests are in progress.

According to NTCA’s latest report, Karnataka has 563 tigers—the second-highest in the country after Madhya Pradesh.

Forest officials say monitoring and anti-poaching efforts will continue to be intensified.