BHUBANESWAR: A male tiger suspected to be MB2 - the first tiger brought to Odisha from Madhya Pradesh 's Kanha as part of the country's first inter-state tiger translocation project - has reportedly been killed in the core area of Satkosia Tiger Reserve Top wildlife officials said MB2 had died two days ago. Confirming the killing based on preliminary inputs obtained from field staff, Wildlife Institute of India scientist K Ramesh said, "I am getting information that a snare was used to kill MB2. It is very unfortunate and hints at a conspiracy. MB2 had settled down and was behaving normally."Sources said angry villagers demanding the relocation of tigress Sundari - the second big cat to be brought from MP as part of the project and who allegedly killed two humans - might have attacked MB2.Senior forest department sources said Odisha's chief wildlife warden Sandip Tripathy was at Satkosia to take stock of the situation. However, they refused to come on record given the sensitivity of the situation and the pressure on their department over rising animal deaths. "The exact location of the tiger's carcass is yet to be known. Once the forest officers return from the spot, things will be clear," said an officer, requesting anonymity.MB2 - a Royal Bengal Tiger - was brought to Satkosia from Kanha on June 22 with great fanfare. The ambitious tiger translocation project was expected to boost the big cat population of the reserve. MB2 was housed in an enclosure in the core area of Satkosia from June 22 to July 6. He was then released into the wilds of the reserve after experts studying his behaviour found him to have acclimatized to the new habitat.

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