Bhopal:

The Madhya Pradesh Forest Department went through a major administrative shake-up this week amid scrutiny over the alarming increase in the number of dead tigers in the Bandhavgarh reserve, and public outcry fuelled partly by NDTV’s ground coverage of the wildlife crisis.

Subharanjan Sen, who was Acting Principal Chief Conservator, has been replaced amid claims the department, under his charge, had mishandled tiger conservation efforts in the state.

The decision was taken after the National Tiger Conservation Authority sought a response from the state’s Wildlife Department regarding serious concerns raised by a special investigation team.

The SIT’s report – highlighted by NDTV on August 1 – pointed red flags in the department’s handling of tiger deaths, including procedural lapses and negligence by officials.

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

Vijay N Ambade, previously Deputy Director-General of Forests in Nagpur in Maharashtra, will replace Sen. The transfer order – issued by Kishore Kumar Kanyal, Deputy Secretary to the Forest Department, said it was for “administrative” reasons and will take immediate effect.

NDTV’s reportage helped shed light on the worrying increase in tiger deaths in Bandhavgarh and the Shahdol forest area between 2021 and 2023. As many as 43 tigers died in this period.

READ | Another Dead Tiger In Madhya Pradesh, With Bullets Wounds In Skull

Some of these have been linked to poaching and others to negligence by wildlife officials.

The SIT report – which NDTV has seen – said there were 34 tiger deaths in Bandhavgarh alone, with the other nine in the Shahdol area. The report also pointed out many of these were not properly investigated; postmortem procedures were conducted without the necessary oversight and, in many cases, the deaths were prematurely attributed to fighting between rival tigers.

NDTV Impact | After Tiger Deaths, Notice Issued To Bandhavgarh Deputy Director

Taking cognisance of these reports the NTCA demanded clarification from state officials.

Last week Sen wrote back, acknowledging the lapses and admitting that protocols established the NTCA, a statutory body house in the Union Environment Ministry – were not followed.

Sen’s own report claimed 30 deaths were during the tenure of other senior officials who also failed to follow established protocols. This has led to recommendations for further inquiries and possible disciplinary action against officials involved.

Meanwhile, there have been calls for a thorough review of management practices within Bandhavgarh. Ajay Dubey, a prominent wildlife activist, pointed to a “leadership crisis” within the Forest Department and emphasised the need for permanent and accountable officers.

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Bhopal:

Initiating action after an NDTV report on the alarming rise of tiger deaths in the Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve, the Madhya Pradesh Forest Headquarters has issued notices to the reserve’s deputy director and officials from the Shahdol Forest Division.

In a report on August 1, NDTV had highlighted the deaths of 34 tigers in the Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve and nine in the Shahdol Forest Circle over the past three years, prompting wildlife enthusiasts to demand a CBI inquiry into the matter.

Forest Minister Ramniwas Rawat said on Thursday, “This matter has come to our notice and a central investigation team reached Bandhavgarh yesterday. The central team stayed there all day, gathering complete information and preparing a report. I would like to thank the NDTV team for exposing this. NDTV has worked responsibly for the betterment of wildlife and forest areas, and we hope they will continue to do so in the future.”

The NDTV investigation revealed that not only did 34 tigers die in the Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve but there were also attempts to cover up the deaths by attributing them to fights among the big cats. In March, the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests formed a three-member committee to investigate these deaths.

The report, a copy of which is with NDTV, uncovered the following lapses:

• Videography of postmortems was not conducted in all cases.
• Preliminary Offence 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.

Madhya Pradesh is known as the ‘tiger state’ and over 1,000 employees and officers are posted in the  Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve, prompting activists to question why the deaths are still taking place.

Wildlife activist Ajay Dubey also pointed to a “leadership crisis”.

“The important point raised in NDTV’s report about the absence of a permanent director in Bandhavgarh is also true for Bhopal. There has been no full-time Chief Wildlife Warden or PCCF (Principal Chief Conservator of Forests) Warden posted for a long time. There is a leadership crisis, and action should be taken here as well. Criminal cases should be filed against those guilty in Bandhavgarh for colluding with poachers,” Mr Dubey said.

Sources indicated that the report has caused a significant stir within the forest department and some senior officials could also face repercussions soon.

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.