Sagar (MP), February 16 An adult tiger with a radio collar has been found dead with a broken skull in the core area of the Rani Durgavati Tiger Reserve (RDTR) in Sagar district, taking the death toll of big cats in Madhya Pradesh to ten since January 1.
MP Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (Wildlife) L Krishnamoorthy told
This is the tenth death of a tiger this year, he added.
The APCCF said that the tiger was about two and a half years old. It was reintroduced to the wild after being orphaned in the Kanha Tiger Reserve and relocated to the RDTR last month.
Sagar Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) Rajnish Kumar Singh told
"One nail of the deceased big cat was found broken, while other nails also showed signs of scratches. The tiger's skull was completely broken with canine marks. A deep canine injury was also found in its eye," he said.
Singh said the carcass was recovered on Sunday evening from the core area of the Manegaon beat under the Mohli range.
He said that the postmortem of the big cat was conducted according to the guidelines of the National Tiger Conservation Authority of India (NTCA).
Meanwhile, wildlife activist Ajay Dubey has written to NTCA's member secretary, the MP Chief Secretary and the State Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, alleging gross negligence by the forest department.
"The death of a radio-collared tiger occurred on or around February 12. Despite the passage of several days, the Forest Department has kept this incident under wraps, suggesting a lack of transparency and an attempt to evade accountability," he alleged.
Dubey stated that the tiger was equipped with a satellite radio collar, and data indicate that the animal remained stationary at the same location for a prolonged period.
"The monitoring team failed to respond or conduct a physical verification, which is a mandatory protocol under NTCA guidelines," he claimed.
Dubey said that the death of the big cat proves that the translocation from Kanha to Nauradehi was executed without proper scientific study or necessary safety precautions.
He stated that Nauradehi (or RDTR) is slated to receive cheetahs later this year. If the department cannot ensure the safety of a monitored, resident tiger, the safety of more vulnerable Cheetahs is nonexistent.
Dubey demanded that the cheetahs not be relocated to their proposed third home in RDTR until their safety is guaranteed.
He also sought an immediate high-level inquiry by the NTCA into the death and the subsequent delay in reporting it.
Dubey demanded strict disciplinary action against the monitoring team and officers for dereliction of duty.
In a petition filed in the high court, Dubey has claimed that 54 tigers have died in Madhya Pradesh in 2025, the highest toll since the launch of Project Tiger, with more than half of the deaths attributed to unnatural causes.