Celebrated Bandhavgarh tigress Dotty dies

Umaria (MP): Dotty, one of the most popular tigresses at Madhya Pradesh’s Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve, recognised by the distinctive ‘D’ mark on the right side of her forehead, has died at around 14 years of age, an official said on Saturday.

The big cat was found dead on Friday afternoon in the Majhkheta beat of the reserve’s Manpur buffer range. A preliminary examination indicated she died of natural causes, BTR Field Director Anupam Sahay told PTI over the phone.

“Her two cubs, aged 15 to 16 months, are fine. The tiger reserve management is monitoring their movements,” Sahay said.

Born in 2011-12 in the Magadhi zone, Dotty was the offspring of the well-known Patihha female and Blue Eye male, said officials.

She gave birth to cubs three to four times during her lifetime and raised them successfully. Her offspring went on to become prominent male and

female tigers in Bandhavgarh, they said.

After her own female offspring drove her out of her territory, Dotty established a new home in the Tala zone, where she gave birth to two more cubs.

Forest officials cordoned off the area after finding her carcass. A dog squad searched the surrounding area on Friday evening but found nothing suspicious, they said.

Dotty’s post-mortem was conducted on Saturday in the presence of senior forest officials. Samples were collected for laboratory analysis, they said. The tigress had remained a favourite among wildlife enthusiasts and tourists for a long time, Sahay said.

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