A day after NDTV published an exclusive report on a concerning surge in Madhya Pradesh tiger deaths, a prominent wildlife activist has called for a CBI investigation into the matter and the state government has assured action. The report, which was based on findings from a report ordered by the forest department, uncovered alleged negligence and procedural lapses in handling tiger cases, raising serious concerns about the state of wildlife conservation in the region.

Noted wildlife activist Ajay Dubey said, “A black spot in Madhya Pradesh was the complete elimination of tigers in Panna Tiger Reserve in 2009. At that time, an investigation report indicated that international smugglers were active in the state and that forest officers were involved in tiger poaching. This situation seems to be repeating in Bandhavgarh. Given the involvement of forest officers, we think that the CBI, with its expertise in cases of tiger poaching and wildlife, should investigate this matter.”

Mr Dubey pointed out that the investigation into tiger deaths in the Shahdol division indicates the involvement of a crime syndicate, hunters and local forest officials.

“Whenever hunting takes place inside the forest, the intelligence failure of the forest department helps hunters succeed. No preventive raids have been conducted and the hunters who were caught could not be convicted due to insufficient evidence. The court acquitted the accused due to a lack of scientific evidence. The entire matter demands a thorough inquiry,” he said.

Government’s Response

Madhya Pradesh Minister of Forest and Environment Ramniwas Rawat has assured that action will be taken. “You have given me the information, I will get the report and take appropriate action,” he said.

READ | Alarming Rise In Tiger Deaths in Madhya Pradesh Reserve: Report

On March 6, 2024, Shubh Ranjan Sen, the in-charge Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, submitted a report exposing an alarming number of tiger deaths and hunting incidents within the Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve and its surrounding forest divisions. According to the reserve, 12 tigers died in 2021, nine in 2022 and 13 in 2023.

According to the report, the major causes of tiger deaths over the past three years include electrocution, conflict, disease/illness, old age, organ capture, poisoning, road accidents and “uncertain causes”. The highest mortality was observed in the Manpur buffer zone, followed by the Tal, Magadhi, and Khitauli core areas. There was an overall increase in mortality in 2023.

Some of the lapses uncovered by the report were:

• Videography of postmortems was not conducted in all cases.
• Police Occurrence Report (POR) for tiger deaths was not recorded in most cases.
• There was an absence of prescribed veterinarians for postmortems, and most parameters were not followed.
• Efforts to protect crime scenes were inadequate, and dog squads or metal detectors were not used.
• Sample collection and sealing were poorly handled, affecting the chain of custody during court cases.
• Case diaries or documentation were often not prepared.
• Final NTCA reports were not submitted in several cases by officials from both the Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve and Shahdol Forest Range.
• Many cases of tiger deaths were superficially classified as infighting without a thorough investigation.
• Postmortem reports often lacked signatures from the concerned veterinary officers and in some instances, no wildlife medical officer was present.

The tiger population in Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve increased from 63 in 2014 to 165 in 2022, but this was accompanied by a concerning rise in tiger deaths. The report highlights that the increasing number of tigers and developmental activities have led to an increase in conflicts between them, as well as fatalities.