Chronicle Reporter, Katni
The tiger population at present is having a freefall in Madhya Pradesh as another big cat, a young tiger, died under mysterious circumstances in Katni district on Tuesday, taking the death toll to five in the state since January 1 this year. Since January 19, 2017, as many as 30 striped cats have died including 25 that perished in calendar year 2017.
Meanwhile, a fresh casualty was reported from Kundam forest. An officer from the forest department told media that the carcass seems to be at least three days old and started to decompose.
The reason behind the death would be known once the autopsy report is received, he said. Sources however claimed that the big cat aged around two years got entangled into forest department’s wired fencing and died.
This mortality brings to the fore the crucial tiger conservation roadblock in Madhya Pradesh.Another tiger Munna, who is extremely popular among the tourists, has gone missing from Kanha tiger reserve. The tiger was involved in a territorial fight with another reserve mate Bheema which was killed in the big cat brawl.
Wildlife experts claim the striped cats tend to move towards human habitation, when either they are injured or can’t hunt due to old age conditions. However, they can easily prey on the cattle and also vulnerable to human attacks at the same time.
