Chief Wildlife Warden Ravi Shrivastava has informed that total 12 tigers have died since June 2015 till date in Pench and Bandhavgarh tiger reserves.
In an official statement, Shrivastava claimed that people have misgivings about this due to misconception and misleading information spread from different sources. In fact, 5 tigers have met with natural death mainly due to territorial fight, old age or suffering injuries in Pench and Bandhavgarh tiger reserves during the period under review. Other 7 tigers have died in 5 cases in which all accused have been arrested and judicial process is on. So far, 27 persons have been arrested in these cases.
In poaching-related cases of 7 tigers' deaths, 3 tigers have died on coming into contact with live electric wire spread in agriculture fields. Department has ensured swift action on receiving information about it from informers. One tiger has been poached by criminal involved in poaching of pangolins. One tigress and her 2 cubs died after drinking water poisoned with indosulphan poison in Pench tiger reserve. Tiger T-13, which was found injured after territorial fight in Bandhavgarh tiger reserved died due to serious wounds. In this case, authorized wildlife doctors have ensured necessary action on the spot.
Meanwhile, an aged tigress died in this State capital’s Van Vihar National Park. The tigress, Basni was approximately 13-years-old and was brought at the age of three months from a forest in neigbouring Raisen District.
The big cat developed paralysis in her left leg in November last year and was being treated by veterinarians. She regain her health after the treatment and was leading normal life the sources said while adding that the carnivore died of heart attack, last night, sources added.