Madhya Pradesh had 785 tigers according to a 2022 census— the highest in the nation— and has lost nine tigers since April 2, when a tiger was found dead in Burhanpur’s forested region.
The carcass of a cub, estimated to be between one and one-and-a-half years old, was located on Thursday evening in the Sargi area of KTR’s core zone, which covers Mandla and Balaghat districts, as stated by the park’s Deputy Director Amita B.
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Additionally, a mature tiger was found dead in the northern forest division of Balaghat district, officials noted.
”Conducting the post-mortem of the cub on Friday, we are currently awaiting the report to determine the exact cause of death,” reported KTR Deputy Director Amita.
Initial observations suggest that the cub may have suffered from starvation due to lack of maternal care, she mentioned, adding that another cub from the same tigress had died three days prior.
”The tigress gave birth to four cubs, two of which have now died. We are diligently monitoring the tigress and the remaining two cubs,” the official explained.
Data from the National Tiger Conservation Authority indicates 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 2026 occurred on January 7 in the Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve.
Wildlife activist Ajay Dubey voiced his concerns regarding the escalating number of tiger deaths in the state.
”Madhya Pradesh holds the leading position in tiger deaths, including unnatural ones, which is alarming,” he remarked.
Dubey attributed these incidents to insufficient monitoring and patrolling, calling for accountability from forest officials.
He referred to a recent incident in Panna Tiger Reserve where a decomposed carcass was discovered nearly 20 days after the animal’s demise.
