MP: Radio-collared Bandhavgarh tigress translocated to Chhindwara found poisoned
What's the story
A radio-collared tigress, translocated from Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve to the Satpura landscape in Madhya Pradesh, was found poisoned and buried in a pit. The carcass was recovered on Friday morning from the Sanga Kheda range under the South Chhindwara forest division after a search operation based on the animal's last known collar location, The Indian Express reported. The search led forest teams to find a partly eaten ox carcass suspected to be poisoned.
Confession revealed
Farmer Uday Singh confessed poisoning carcass
Field Director Rakhi Nanda said that on March 26, when the Denwa buffer staff tracked the collar location, they reached agricultural fields in Chhatiaam village and found a dead ox. A forest dog squad tracked the scent to a farmer's hut. The farmer, Uday Singh, confessed to poisoning the carcass after his ox was killed by the tiger.
Legal action
Five arrested, post-mortem finds poisoning
Following Singh's confession, three more villagers from Chhindwara and neighboring Narmadapuram district were arrested. A senior wildlife official confirmed that a case has been registered against the five accused under the Wildlife Protection Act. "All five have been arrested and produced before the court," he said. The post-mortem of the tiger confirmed death due to poisoning.
Conflict escalation
Growing conflict between tigers and settlements
The incident highlights the increasing conflict between expanding tiger populations and human settlements near forest boundaries. This year alone, Madhya Pradesh has reported at least 14 tiger deaths since January. Senior forest officials said all body parts of the tigress were intact, ruling out immediate evidence of trade-linked poaching. The exact toxic substance used in this case is still under investigation.