Officials look for hurt tiger cub

BANGALORE:  A 17-month-old male tiger cub was injured in a territorial fight near Somanakoppa in Bandipur National Park (BNP). The divisional forest officer of BNP was instructed to tranquillise the big cat immediately and treat its injuries before the wound worsens. “The safari on the  Somanakoppa side for tourists will be closed till the treatment is over,” said Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) B K Singh.He told Express that a tigress had given birth to four cubs - two males and two females - last year. The tigress was residing with its cubs inside the national park. Two days ago, a forest guard spotted a male tiger cub with injuries on its tail and other parts of the body. It is speculated the male cub got engaged in a territorial fight with another tiger and sustained injuries.Singh said there is an immediate need to treat the injured tiger else it would die of infection.Singh said, “The forest department is keen to protect the big cats across the state forests. The vigilance is upgraded by deploying more men in tiger core zones. This  helped  to reduce poaching cases in Karnataka.”