Tigress dies in Kanha park after death of 3 cubs:Earlier hunger claims, now lung infection cited as reason; questions raised over ₹40 cr system

In Madhya Pradesh’s Kanha Tiger Reserve, a tigress (T-141) died on Wednesday after the death of her 3 cubs between April 21 and 26. The initial postmortem report of the cubs suggested death due to starvation after finding empty stomachs, but later, the forest department attributed it to lung infection. After the death of 3 cubs, the Dainik Bhaskar team reached Kanha Tiger Reserve. They spoke with people here and learned about the actual conditions inside the Tiger Reserve. People allege that despite complaining several times, forest workers and officials do not listen to them. This is the reason why such a situation has arisen today. Staff could not prevent 2 more deaths after the first death 17 April: A video surfaced from the Sarhi zone, in which a cub appeared extremely weak. Based on the video, the forest department announced increased surveillance and began searching for the tigress. Elephant patrol teams were also deployed. Despite this, the forest department could not control the situation. 21 April: The cub’s carcass was found near the Bade Amahi drain. The post-mortem found its stomach empty, which initially led to hunger being considered the cause of death. However, the tigress had been spotted with her other cubs in the same area, raising questions about why the cub remained hungry if the mother was nearby. 24 April: The second cub’s carcass was found in a decomposed state in the Eentaware drain. In this case, too, death from hunger was later revealed. The consecutive deaths of two cubs had increased concerns about the condition of the tigress and the remaining cubs. 25-26 April: Meanwhile, the third cub also died. This time, the forest department changed the cause of death, stating lung infection. After this, the department tranquilized the tigress and one surviving cub and shifted them to Mukki Quarantine Center, where treatment is ongoing. 29 April: The tigress, who was tranquilized and brought to Mukki Quarantine Center, also passed away. Cause of death – disease or hunger? Not clear The biggest controversy in the case is regarding the cause of death. In the first two cases, based on post-mortem, it was found that the stomach was empty, which raised suspicion of death due to hunger. Later, forest department officials said that the cubs had an upper respiratory tract (lung) infection, due to which they were unable to eat. According to Deputy Director Prakash Kumar Verma, when the tigress and cubs were given treatment after the rescue, they started eating after about 24 hours, which confirms the illness. The question is, if there was an illness, why couldn’t it be identified in time, when the video of the weak cub had already surfaced on April 17? Kanha Tiger Reserve is counted among the best-managed reserves in the country. About ₹40 crore is spent here every year under Project Tiger. Despite such extensive arrangements, the death of three cubs and a tigress in 9 days raises questions about the monitoring system. Especially when signs of the cub’s weakness had already been noticed. People said that forest workers did not listen even after complaints When the Bhaskar team arrived, anger was visible among the local people against the management. Katanga Mal’s Sarpanch Parvati Uike says that she was called, but was not allowed to see the bodies of the cubs. Photos were taken during the last rites. She has demanded an investigation alleging negligence in monitoring. She said that due to these tigers, tourism was increasing at Sarhi Gate, and local people were getting employment. The death of the cubs is also affecting this. Devi Prasad Yadav says that patrolling and surveillance are not effective. People associated with tourism are also worried about this, because the continuous death of cubs is causing disrepute. We used to complain to the officials about the situation here, but there was no hearing. We have a homestay in this forest area. My children’s and my lives depend on this forest area. Such an incident has never happened in my life before. This is the murder of cubs. It should be investigated. Social worker Sudhir Kasar has also cited management failure. He says that despite so many resources, the continuous death of cubs points to negligence. Responsibility should be fixed. Forest Department busy with CM’s program We tried to contact the forest department officials, but could not get in touch with them. All officials were busy with the arrangements for Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav’s program at Supkhar Range located in the Kanha area. However, in old statements, the forest department has denied negligence in patrolling or surveillance. Officials say that due to timely monitoring, the tigress and one cub could be saved. According to the department, all necessary samples have been sent for testing. The actual cause of death will be confirmed only after the report arrives. These questions remain unanswered