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Nagpur: A large, dominating tiger called Surya is believed to have killed an eight-month-old cub of a tigress and devoured it fully on Saturday night in Umred-Paoni-Karhandla Wildlife Sanctuary (UPKWS) in Nagpur district. Surya also attacked a tigress in November, killing her and leading to the abortion of her four foetuses.
“Surya, officially known as T9, is believed to have killed and eaten one of the three cubs of a tigress on Saturday night. We have found only a small part of one of the cub’s limbs and his chin on the spot,” informed Range Forest Officer Ramdas Nimbekar to media.
He added, “The tigress and her two cubs were seen by tourists on Saturday evening. We are looking for them.”
Earlier in the day, speculation was rife that Surya had killed all three cubs of the tigress. But Nimbekar said, “Till now, we haven’t found any such evidence.”
According to Principal Chief Conservator of Forest Nitin Kakodkar, “Tigers are known to kill cubs not fathered by them and then have their own progeny by mating with the mother. Also, cannibalism is common among tigers.”
