Madhya Pradesh
43 Tiger Deaths in Madhya Pradesh
- 06 Aug 2024
- 2 min read
Why in News?
- The deaths of 43 tigers between 2021 and 2023 were investigated, with 34 deaths in Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve and 9 in Shahdol Forest Circle.
Key Points
- Special Investigation Team (SIT) Report: The SIT, headed by State Tiger Strike Force in-charge, submitted its report to the acting Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) and the Principal Chief Conservator of Forest & Head of the Forest Force (PCCF-HoFF) on July 15.
- Lack of Investigation: The report highlighted insufficient investigation into at least 10 tiger death cases, disinterest by higher authorities and Forest Range Officers, and missing body parts in 10 out of 34 cases.
- Formation of SIT: The SIT was formed on the orders of the state’s Chief Wildlife Warden to investigate the high number of tiger deaths.
Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve (BTR)
- It is located in the Umaria district of Madhya Pradesh and is spread over the Vindhya hills.
- In 1968, it was notified as a national park and in 1993 was declared a tiger reserve- under the Project Tiger Network at the neighbouring Panpatha Sanctuary.
- It is known for the Royal Bengal Tigers. The density of the tiger population at Bandhavgarh is the highest known in India as well as in the world.
- These streams then merge into the Son river (an important southern tributary to the river Ganga).
- The important prey species consists of chital, sambhar, barking deer, nilgai, chinkara, wild pig, chowsingha, langur and rhesus macaque.
- Dependent upon them are the major predators like tiger, leopard, wild dog, wolf and jackal.
