Madhya Pradesh, which had a tiger population of 785 according to a 2022 census—the highest in the country—has experienced the loss of nine tigers since April 2, when one was found dead in the Burhanpur forest area.
The body of a cub, estimated to be between one and one-and-a-half years old, was found on Thursday evening in the Sargi region of KTR’s core area, which includes Mandla and Balaghat districts, reported the park’s Deputy Director Amita B.
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In another instance, a full-grown tiger was found deceased in the northern forest division of Balaghat district, officials confirmed.
”A post-mortem of the cub was conducted on Friday, and we are now waiting for its report (to determine the exact cause of death),” stated KTR deputy director Amita.
Initial observations suggest that the cub may have suffered from starvation due to a lack of nourishment from its mother, she mentioned, adding that another cub from the same tigress had died three days prior.
”The tigress had four cubs, of which two have unfortunately passed away. We are closely observing the tigress and the two surviving cubs,” the official noted.
Data shared by the National Tiger Conservation Authority indicated that Madhya Pradesh, home to nine reserves, had recorded 21 tiger deaths as of April 21 this year.
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The first reported death of 2023 occurred on January 7 in the Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve.
Wildlife activist Ajay Dubey voiced concerns regarding the increasing number of tiger fatalities in the state.
”Madhya Pradesh leads in tiger deaths, including unnatural ones, which is alarming,” he said.
The lack of monitoring and patrolling contributes to these incidents, Dubey argued, demanding accountability from forest officials.
He referenced a recent incident in Panna Tiger Reserve where a decomposed carcass was discovered nearly 20 days post-mortem.
