Chamarajanagar:  Just months after a tigress and her four cubs were killed by poisoning, the forest staff, while on a regular beat at Hanur Range of Male Mahadeshwara (MM Hills) Wildlife Sanctuary, have found the carcass of the a tiger, brutally hunted, dismembered and buried under soil near Pachchedoddi village on Oct. 2.

The tiger, said to be a 12-year-male, was cut into three pieces and was buried in different place. On noticing the tiger’s body, the foresters on beat, informed the senior officials, who rushed to the spot and conducted an investigation during which they found the tiger’s head, shoulders and forelimbs while the rest of the body was missing.

On further search, the Forest officials found the remaining parts of the tiger’s body about 100 mts from where the Foresters had spotted the carcass.

On prima facie, the Forest officials have suspected the cause of the death due to poisoning. The officials have collected viscera of the carcass and have sent it to the Forensic Science Laboratory for confirmation.

Meanwhile, a special team led by Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) Smita Bijoor has been formed to investigate in to case.

Minister of Forests, Ecology and Environment Eshwar Khandre, who has ordered for a thorough investigation into the case, has instructed the officials to ensure those behind the gruesome killing are brought to justice.

Khandre has also ordered to probe into all case of hunting across all wildlife sanctuaries in the State over the last three years.