A tiger’s suspected fatal encounter with a train in Tamil Nadu’s Tenkasi district has brought railway safety through wildlife habitats into focus, with the Forest Department seeking a 50 per cent reduction in the night-time speed limit on the stretch.
The four-to-five-year-old tiger is believed to have been run over by the Palaruvi Express while crossing the tracks between Sengottai and Baghavathipuram, close to the Kerala border. Forest officials suspect the incident occurred past midnight on Tuesday.
Officials estimate that six to seven tigers could inhabit the region, although this is not a confirmed census figure. Forest officials suspect the incident occurred past midnight on Tuesday. The four-to-five-year-old tiger is believed to have been run over by the Palaruvi Express while crossing the tracks between Sengottai and Baghavathipuram, close to the Kerala border. “The post-mortem report confirms that the tiger’s skull was damaged and the brain had collapsed. The incident has drawn attention to the tiger population in Tenkasi’s forest areas. The surrounding Western Ghats landscape is connected to major tiger habitats, including the Kalakad-Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve.
We believe the death is due to a train hit,” Dr Rajmohan, District Forest Officer, Tenkasi, told NDTV.
