A four-and-a-half-year-old male Ranthambore tiger succumbed to fatal injuries sustained in a territorial fight with another male in the famous national park.
The body of the big cat, T-2402, was recovered by the sanctuary authorities early Tuesday and has been kept for an autopsy, a Ranthambore field official said.
The body of tiger T-2402—the offspring of tigress Aishvarya (T-99)—was found lying in the Hindwad block of the Phalodi Forest Range of the national park, the official added.
Based on the injury marks and initial observations, it appears to have been a fight for dominance to establish territory, he said.
However, the exact cause of death will be confirmed only after the post-mortem.
Although official data on the tiger count could not be obtained immediately, departmental sources estimate the population in the reserve to be between 76 and 80, which may be leading to territorial congestion among the species.