Prince’s snout found, canines and jaw bone are missing

Nepal: Nearly 10 days after famous tiger Prince was found dead with a missing snout at Bandipur Tiger Reserve, forest staff managed to find the snout inside a pit, a few meters away from the place where the tiger's carcass was lying.

The carcass of 12-year-old Prince was found at Lokkare forest, coming under Kundkere Range in Bandipur, on April 2. The forest department confirmed it was Prince on April 5, by verifying the stripes on the body.

As the photograph of the dead tiger went viral on social media, wildlife enthusiasts expressed suspicion over the cause of death. A hunt began for the poachers who cut the tiger's head, while forest officials confirmed that it was a natural death.

During the search, forest staff found the snout just 150 meters from where the carcass was found. It is believed that the poachers chopped its four canines and lower jaw bone using a sharp weapon, and managed to escape from the forest. A team of medical staff led by Bandipur forest veterinarian Dr. Nagaraj had examined the body parts.

While the department sent the samples to the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) in Hyderabad, forest staff resumed its search operation with an expectation that they might find the missing jaws and canines.

A source in the forest department said that the staff are also monitoring the movement of suspects from the villages on the fringes of Bandipur forest.

Forest officials say the suspects will be detained and interrogated. Bandipur forest vet Dr. Nagaraj said that they are waiting for lab reports for further investigation.

(Source: Times of India)