Appalling! MP witnesses 13 tiger deaths; electrocution, poisoning quoted as reasons

Zee Media Bureau

New Delhi: At the time when steps are being taken to prevent the largest cat species from fading into oblivion, Madhya Pradesh has witnesses 13 tiger deaths in the past one year.

As per reports, 13 tigers have died in two national parks in MP and the reasons behind this are electrocution, poisoning, diseases etc.

Replying to an RTI query, state forest department said nine tigers have died in Pench national park--known as home to 'Mowgli', a fictional character and protagonist in English writer Rudyard Kipling's 'The Jungle Book'--whereas four died in Bandhavgarh national park.

Wildlife activist Ajay Dubey, who has filed a Public Interest Litigation in Madhya Pradesh High Court seeking a probe in tiger poaching cases in the state's national parks, sought details of death of the big cats in the last one year.

There are six tiger reserves in Madhya Pradesh-- Kanha, Bandhavgarh, Panna, Bori-Satpura, Sanjay-Dubri and Pench -- which have about 257 big cats. While the tiger population in the country was estimated at 1,706 in 2010, it had risen to 2,226 in 2014.

Madhya Pradesh ranks third after Karnataka and Uttarakhand in tiger population.

(With PTI inputs)