Cub, adult tiger found dead in Kanha, Balaghat; toll rises to 23 in Madhya Pradesh

A tiger cub was found dead in Kanha Tiger Reserve, while the carcass of an adult tiger was recovered from Balaghat district, taking the number of tiger deaths in Madhya Pradesh this year to 23, officials said.

The cub, estimated to be between one and one-and-a-half years old, was discovered on Thursday evening, April 23, in the Sargi area within the core zone of the reserve, which spans Mandla and Balaghat districts. The post-mortem was conducted on April 24, and officials said the exact cause of death would be confirmed after the report.

Preliminary findings suggest the cub may have died of starvation, possibly due to not being fed by its mother. Officials also noted that another cub from the same litter had died three days earlier. The tigress had given birth to four cubs, of which two have now died, while the remaining two are under close monitoring.

In a separate incident, a full-grown tiger was found dead in the north forest division of Balaghat district. The cause of death is yet to be ascertained.

Madhya Pradesh, which recorded 785 tigers in the 2022 census, the highest in the country, has seen a rise in tiger mortality, with nine deaths reported since April 2, including one in the forested area of Burhanpur.

According to data from the National Tiger Conservation Authority, the state, home to nine tiger reserves, had recorded 21 tiger deaths as of April 21. The first death this year was reported on January 7 in Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve.

Wildlife activist Ajay Dubey expressed concern over the rising deaths, stating that Madhya Pradesh continues to rank high in tiger mortality, including unnatural deaths. He attributed the trend to gaps in monitoring and patrolling, and called for greater accountability among forest officials.

He also referred to a recent case in Panna Tiger Reserve, where a decomposed carcass was discovered nearly 20 days after the animal’s death, raising further questions over surveillance and response mechanisms.