Insecticide used to kill tigers at Rajiv Gandhi Orang National Park

GUWAHATI: The authorities of Rajiv Gandhi Orang National Park, about 150 km from here, said a highly toxic insecticide called " organophosphorous" was used in killing three tigers in February this year. The carcasses of the animals were found on the banks of the Panchnoi river inside the park on February 9, 11 and 26.

Park authorities sent samples from the carcasses to the Directorate of Forensic Science, Assam (DFSA). "We have received the forensic test report recently and it says organophosphorous was used to kill three tigers. The insecticide, laced with meat, might have been used as a bait to kill the tigers," said Mangaldoi wildlife divisional officer Sushil Kumar Daila.

What puzzled the park authorities is that the tigers were killed despite there was no instance of big cats straying out of the park and killing livestock in fringe villages between January and February. Orang has an estimated 22 tigers.

Fringe villagers of Orang are used to retaliatory killing of tigers whenever their livestock are killed by the big cats.