A tiger cub was found dead in Kanha Tiger Reserve and the carcass of an adult tiger was recovered from Balaghat district, bringing the official tally of tiger deaths in Madhya Pradesh this year to 23, forest officials said. The cub was located on the evening of April 23 in the Sargi area within the reserve’s core zone, which spans Mandla and Balaghat districts, and a post-mortem was carried out on April 24; the exact cause of death will be confirmed after the forensic report, officials added.
The cub, estimated at between one and one-and-a-half years old, showed preliminary signs consistent with starvation, possibly because it was not fed by its mother. Officials said another cub from the same litter had died three days earlier, on April 20. The tigress had given birth to four cubs; two have now died and the remaining two are under close monitoring by reserve staff.
In a separate incident, a fully grown tiger was found dead in the north forest division of Balaghat district. Authorities have not yet ascertained the cause of death and are awaiting post-mortem results and laboratory tests.
Madhya Pradesh, which recorded 785 tigers in the 2022 census-the highest number for any state-has seen a recent rise in tiger mortality. Officials reported nine tiger deaths since April 2, including a death in the forested area of Burhanpur. Data from the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) showed 21 tiger deaths in the state as of April 21; the first reported death this year occurred on January 7 in Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve.
Wildlife activist Ajay Dubey expressed concern over the surge in deaths, saying Madhya Pradesh continues to register high tiger mortality, including unnatural deaths. He attributed the trend to gaps in monitoring and patrolling and urged greater accountability from forest officials. Dubey also pointed to a recent case in Panna Tiger Reserve, where a decomposed carcass was discovered nearly 20 days after the animal’s death, as evidence of lapses in surveillance and response mechanisms.
Conservationists warn that the spike in fatalities undermines protection efforts and called for strengthened patrolling, faster forensic follow-up and improved field monitoring to prevent further losses.
Original Source: https://www.indiatodayne.in/national/story/cub-adult-tiger-found-dead-in-kanha-balaghat-toll-rises-to-23-in-madhya-pradesh-1381060-2026-04-25?utm_source=rssfeed
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Publish Date: 2026-04-25 08:50:00
