Tigress eats its cub in Panna reserve

BHOPAL: In a shocker for authorities at Panna Tiger Reserve, a tiger cub was eaten by tigress, a couple of minutes after it was killed by an adult male tiger the female big cat was pairing with.

The cub was spotted at Jardhova forest area of Rampura village on Saturday morning. Villagers informed PTR officials about the incident.

Park officials who reached the spot found that the tigress T2, shifted from Kanha National Park in 2009, had eaten the cub, born nine months ago.

"The male P111- with which she was pairing - was sitting beside the carcass," R S Murthy, park director told TOI. It was an unusual behaviour, the officer said, adding "theory that wild tigresses eat cubs has never been substantiated."

The officials could not collect the carcass for post-mortem as T2 and P111 remained at the spot till late in the evening. "The autopsy would be conducted on Sunday," said the officer. With the death of one cub, there are now 17 tigers in PTR fringe area.