Mystery surrounds the sudden removal and burning of viscera and carcass of a tigress, kept in a freezer box at forest office at nearby Masanagudi since 2011, even as the autopsy report said it was poisoned.
Officials here however claimed they had got orders from the authorities concerned in Chennai to burn the carcass.
The tigress was found dead along with a leopard near Mayar, coming under Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR) under mysterious circumstances in April 2011.
While the leopard's body was burnt a day later, the carcass of the big cat was kept in a freezer after the viscera was sent to Chennai for autopsy.
Reports had stated its death was due to poisoning, forest department sources said.
However, no arrest has yet been made in this connection.
Officials claimed they had got orders from the authority in Chennai to burn the carcass.
