High Court questions tiger deaths in MP:Seeks response from Centre, state and NTCA over alleged tiger body part smuggling to Nepal and China

The Madhya Pradesh High Court has raised serious concerns over the increasing number of tiger deaths in the state, famously known as the “Tiger State”. The court questioned why tigers are not safe in a state that hosts the country’s largest tiger population. A public interest petition has been filed, claiming that 54 tigers died in 2025, and asserting that tiger body parts are being smuggled to Nepal and China after poaching. The petition also demands the construction of underbridges beneath railway tracks in Ratapani Tiger Reserve to prevent animal deaths. Court issues notice to centre, state, and NTCA The bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjeev Sachdeva and Justice Vinay Saraf heard the petition on Tuesday (January 20). The court issued notices to both the central and state governments, seeking their response. The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has also been served a notice. The next hearing is scheduled for February 11. MP has 785 tigers, highest in the country The petition was filed in the Madhya Pradesh High Court by wildlife activist Ajay Dubey from Bhopal. He claimed that 54 tigers died in MP during 2025. Globally, there are 5,421 tigers, out of which 3,167 are in India. Madhya Pradesh alone is home to 785 tigers, making it the largest tiger hub in the country. Highest number of tiger deaths in a single year The petition states that the 54 tiger deaths in 2025 represent the highest number of deaths in a single year since Project Tiger began. Year-wise tiger deaths in MP: Poaching and illegal trade of tiger body parts Recently, an international trafficker, Yangchen Lachungpa, was arrested in Sikkim. During interrogation, he revealed that tiger body parts from India are smuggled to Nepal and China. Ratapani tiger reserve: 9 tigers killed by trains Senior advocate Aditya Sanghi, representing the petitioner, highlighted the deaths of tigers in national parks and also raised the issue of 9 tigers and 10 leopards being killed on railway tracks in Ratapani Tiger Reserve. He demanded the construction of underbridges beneath the railway track to ensure safe wildlife passage. Record annual deaths since project tiger began The petition claims that since the launch of Project Tiger in 1973, this is the first time any state has recorded such a high number of tiger deaths in a single year. Between January 2025 and December 19, 2025, 54 tiger deaths were recorded, setting the highest annual death record so far. A media report published on December 16, 2025, stated that 54 tigers died in MP in 2025—the highest since Project Tiger began. The report also claimed that the rise in tiger population figures hides the grim reality of poaching, electrocution, train accidents, and mysterious deaths. Petitioner’s claim: 57% unnatural deaths in Bandhavgarh According to petitioner Ajay Dubey: Railway line called ‘death track’ The severity of the situation was further highlighted when the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau and MP Tiger Strike Force arrested international trafficker Yangchen Lakhungpa. He was wanted under an Interpol Red Corner Notice, and his smuggling network spanned India, Nepal, Tibet, and China. The Budhani–Midghat railway line, now being called the “Death Track”, has seen 9 tigers and 10 leopards killed in one year by trains. This line passes through the core area of the newly formed Ratapani Tiger Reserve, yet no underpasses or overpasses have been constructed despite recommendations. Forest Department and railways blame each other The petition also notes that the forest department and railway authorities have been blaming each other, while the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests admitted on December 12, 2025, that tiger deaths are occurring due to electrocution, road and rail accidents, and administrative negligence, and ordered action against the responsible officers.