Prima facie, it appears the cub may not have been fed by its mother, leading to death by starvation and another cub of the same tigress died three days ago, the official said.
Key Points
- The death brings the total number of tiger deaths in Madhya Pradesh to 22 since January.
- Initial investigations suggest the cub may have died of starvation, possibly due to being abandoned by its mother.
- Wildlife activists are expressing concern over the rising number of tiger deaths in Madhya Pradesh and are calling for increased monitoring and accountability.
- Another cub from the same tigress died three days prior, highlighting potential issues with the tigress's ability to care for her offspring.
A tiger cub was found dead in Madhya Pradesh's Kanha Reserve (KTR) while another striped big cat was found dead in Balaghat district, taking the death toll of tigers in the state since January this year to 23, officials said on Friday.
Madhya Pradesh, which had 785 tigers as per a 2022 census, the highest in the country, has lost nine tigers since April 2 when a tiger was found dead in the forested area of Burhanpur.
The carcass of a cub, aged between one to one-and-a-half years, was found on Thursday evening in Sargi area of the KTR's core area which spans Mandla and Balaghat districts, said the park's Deputy Director Amita B.
Elsewhere, a full-grown tiger was found dead in the north forest division of Balaghat district, officials said.
"The post-mortem of the cub was conducted on Friday and we are awaiting its report (to know the exact cause of death)," said KTR deputy director Amita.
Prima facie, it appears the cub may not have been fed by its mother, leading to its death by starvation, she said, adding that another cub of the same tigress had died three days ago.
"The tigress delivered four cubs, of which two have died. We are closely monitoring the tigress and the remaining two cubs," said the official.
According to the National Tiger Conservation Authority data, Madhya Pradesh, home to nine reserves, had recorded 21 deaths as of April 21 this year.
The first death of 2026 was reported on January 7 in the Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve.
Wildlife activist Ajay Dubey expressed concern over the rising tiger deaths in the state.
"Madhya Pradesh ranks first in tiger deaths, including unnatural deaths, which is worrying," he said.
Lack of monitoring and patrolling contributes to such incidents, Dubey said, demanding accountability from forest officials.
He cited a recent case in Panna Tiger Reserve where a decomposed carcass was found nearly 20 days after the animal's death.
