Male tiger killed by train in Tamil Nadu's Tenkasi district
The forest department has launched a probe after a four to five-year-old tiger was run over by the Palaruvi Express.
A male tiger aged between four and five years was killed by the Palakkad-Thoothukudi Palaruvi Express near Shengottai early on Wednesday, according to The New Indian Express.
The incident occurred on the railway tracks between Bhagavathipuram and Poolankudiyiruppu. District Forest Officer (DFO) R Rajmohan said the animal had sustained head injuries in the collision.
The DFO stated that the forest department received information about the incident around 3.30 am. He noted that this is the first tiger-related accident of this kind in Tamil Nadu.
A team will visit the neighbouring Kerala state to examine CCTV footage from the Courtallam forest range to check if the tiger arrived from there, Rajmohan said.
An autopsy was conducted following National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) guidelines in the presence of the chief wildlife warden and NTCA representatives. Forest department veterinarians Dr Manoharan, Dr Santhakumar, and local veterinarian Dr Sivakumar from Puliyarai performed the examination.
The tiger's carcass was cremated at the spot. Rajmohan said he has written to the Railways seeking a reduction in the night speed limit from 60 to 30 kmph and has instructed personnel to patrol the stretch at night.