The forest department is treating the case as "suspicious", they said, adding that the cause of the big cat's death will only be determined after an autopsy.

The carcass was found on Saturday night, after which forest department teams rushed to the spot near the Dhamela watch tower between the Mahof and Mala ranges, the officials said.

Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Bharat Kumar D K reached the site with his team, while the chief conservator of forests from Bareilly also inspected the location around 2 am on Sunday, they added.

Confirming the death, the DFO said the entire process is being carried out in accordance with the protocols of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA).

The carcass will be sent to the Indian Veterinary Research Institute (IVRI) in Bareilly for post-mortem.

According to the officials, preliminary examinations did not reveal clear signs of infighting or external injuries on the carcass.

While tiger deaths are commonly attributed to territorial conflicts or poaching, the absence of visible wounds has led the forest department to treat the case as "suspicious", deepening the mystery around the development.

The officials said the nodal officer of Project Tiger will also visit the site to review security arrangements and monitoring mechanisms for any lapses.