tiger-cub-found-dead-in-kanha-toll-at-22-this-year

A tiger cub was found dead in the core area of the Kanha Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh, taking the number of big cat deaths in the state to 22 since January this year, officials said on Friday.

 

The carcass of the cub, aged between one and one-and-a-half years, was discovered on Thursday evening in the Sargi region of the reserve, which spans Mandla and Balaghat districts.

 

Deputy Director Amita B said a post-mortem was conducted on Friday and the report was awaited to ascertain the exact cause of death. “The post-mortem of the cub was conducted on Friday and we are awaiting its report,” she said.

 

Prima facie, officials suspect that the cub may have died of starvation after not being fed by its mother. The tigress had given birth to four cubs, of which two have now died within a span of a few days.

 

“Another cub of the same tigress died three days ago. We are closely monitoring the tigress and the remaining two cubs,” the official said, adding that surveillance has been intensified in the area.

Also read: 41 tigers lost in Maharashtra in 2025: Govt tells Assembly

According to data from the National Tiger Conservation Authority, Madhya Pradesh, home to nine tiger reserves, has recorded 22 tiger deaths so far in 2026, including cubs.

 

Officials said the first tiger death of the year was reported on January 7 in the Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve.

 

Wildlife activist Ajay Dubey expressed concern over the rising number of deaths, saying the state continues to top the list in tiger mortality, including cases of unnatural deaths.

 

“Madhya Pradesh ranks first in tiger deaths, including unnatural deaths, which is worrying,” he said, calling for greater accountability.

 

Dubey alleged that gaps in monitoring and patrolling could be contributing to such incidents. He cited a recent case in the Panna Tiger Reserve where a decomposed carcass was found nearly 20 days after the animal’s death.

 

Forest officials, however, said they were monitoring the situation closely and would take appropriate action based on the findings of the post-mortem report.