(Image source from: Canva.com)
Some red flags were raised by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) over the death of 43 tigers in Madhya Pradesh’s Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve and Shahdol Forest Circle in between 2021 and 2023. Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve alone saw 34 deaths in 43. The SIT headed by Ritesh Sarthia submitted the report on May 14th to the PCCF (principal chief conservative of forests) and the Head of Forest Force (PCCF-HoFF) on July 15th. The reports allege that the higher authorities and forest range officers are really not interested in discharging their duties and only because of the lack of interest, the deaths are increasing. They also wrote in the report that the officials are arresting only 2 out of five cases, even after the cause of death was known. They also wrote that out of 34 bodies, for 10 bodies the officials did not even collect the body parts.
According to the SIT report:
In Bandhavgarh forest reserve,3 died because of electrocution, 17 because of infighting, 4 because of illness, 2 because of senility, 2 body parts were seized and 6 died, the death reason was unknown. Coming to Shahdol forest circle, 3 died because of electrocution, 1 with poisoning, 1 in a road accident, and 4, reasons were unknown. In 17 cases officers have no detailed information as they have not performed any proper investigation.
A wildlife activist Ajay Dubey has filed over the poaching in Madhya Pradesh in the court, where the MP govt he stated that poaching is in control in the state.
One more incident shows the irresponsible attitude of the officers, According to the forest officers and sources, the Madhya Pradesh forest department is trying to seize the train for killing cubs.
In a tragic train accident on July 14th, three cuts were killed after a train hit them. In three one died immediately and 2 have seen pain overnight before taking the mercy from death. Once the Assam forest department seized an engine for the death of a wild elephant and a calf, so now Madhya Pradesh officials are saying that we can do the same for our tiger cubs.
The mistake is actually because of the third line and need to check about the environmental clearances of the third line. In a total of 20km, since 2015, 14 leopards and a bear have been killed in train accidents. So they have to have control over the speed of the train in this particular region.
Tigers and elephants come under the Schedule 1 animal under the Wildlife Protection Act 1972 and the field officers need to take care of the safety of the animals. Madhya Pradesh stands in the number one position with more number of Tigers, But their recent negligence might end up in a decrease in the number of our national animals.
