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.

Bhopal:

Alarming cases of tiger deaths and hunting incidents in Madhya Pradesh’s Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve and its surrounding forest divisions have been reported by a top official.

A report by the forest department based on an order by in-charge Principal Conservator of Forests Shubh Ranjan Sen in March this year – accessed by NDTV now – sheds light on a concerning surge in tiger deaths in the state.

The report uncovered shocking details of negligence and procedural lapses in handling tiger cases, raising serious concerns about the state of wildlife conservation in the region. Known as the ‘Tiger State’, Madhya Pradesh is home to some of the highest concentrations of tigers in the country.

The order by Mr Sen, which led to the report, had highlighted severe negligence in handling tiger cases, prompting the formation of a special committee to investigate tiger deaths from 2021 to 2023.

The members of the three-people committee to look into tiger deaths were Indian Forest Service officer Ritesh Sonfia, Chairman, Principal Officer State Tiger Strike Force; Dr Kajal Jaiswal, Assistant Professor, School of Wildlife Forensics and Health, Jabalpur, and Archana Joshi, Advocate and Wildlife Officer, Katni.

The Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve covering 1,536.93 sqkm is known for its high tiger density and diverse wildlife, including spotted deer, sambar, and leopards. The reserve’s staff includes a field director, a deputy director, three assistant directors, a wildlife medical officer, 11 forest range officers, a field biologist, 13 assistant forest range officers, 28 forest guards, 130 foresters, a drone operator, 128 permanent staff, and 605 temporary or contractual rangers.

The report identified major causes of tiger deaths over the past three years, including electrocution, conflict, disease, old age, organ capture, poisoning, road accidents, and uncertain causes.

The reserve reported these details – 12 tigers died in 2021, nine in 2022 and 13 in 2023. The highest mortality was seen in the Manpur buffer zone, followed by Tal, Magadhi, and Khitauli core areas. There was an overall increase in mortality in 2023.

The report uncovered shocking details of negligence and procedural lapses, as videography of postmortems was not conducted in all cases. The policy of record (POR) was not maintained 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. The final National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) reports were not submitted in several cases by both Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve and Shahdol Forest Range officials.

Many cases of tiger deaths were superficially classified as infighting without a thorough investigation. Postmortem reports often lacked signatures from the veterinary officers concerned, and in some instances, no wildlife medical officer was present.

Tiger population in the Bandhavgarh reserve increased from 63 in 2014 to 165 in 2022. However, this increase has been accompanied by a concerning rise in tiger deaths. The report highlighted a growing number of developmental activities that led to an increase in conflicts and fatalities among tigers.

The report found that the increased tiger population forces young and old tigers to move out of core areas into human-populated regions, where they prey on livestock. This has escalated human-tiger conflict incidents.

Developmental activities such as road construction, building projects, and resorts in and around Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve are reducing tiger habitats. This habitat loss is contributing to increased territorial conflicts and poaching incidents.