Tiger electrocuted in Satna forest, two suspects held
   Date :14-May-2019

 
 
Staff Reporter;
 
Forest officials were on toes on Monday after a young tiger was found dead by electrocution in Amirati Beat of Majhgawa range under Satna district late on Sunday night. The incident occurred in Dudhmania jungles has raised hackles of wildlife and experts. Forest team immediately reached the spot on Monday morning and checked the carcass of tiger. Autopsy suggested that the tiger was electrocuted on Sunday evening when it came in contact with live electric wire set up by the poachers. Villagers said that the tiger had also killed a calf on Sunday morning.
 
Forest team has seized the carcass of tiger and sent sample for further post-mortem. Forest Department has also arrested a few suspects to investigate the case. According to forest officials, the tiger carcass was very close to water pond in Sarbhang Ashram. Hence, it is being supposed that he was moving towards the pond to drink water. Meanwhile, he came in contact with electric wire and died. The electric wire was also spotted by the forest team plotted on the pond. Villagers of the area alleged that the Forest Department is now a days focusing on monitoring of Tendu leaves instead of big cats’ safety.
 
The carcass of the tiger was spotted by villagers on Monday morning and they informed the forest team. They said that most of the water sources in the jungle areas have dried up. They said only selected ponds are left with water due to which animals are too moving towards villages in search of water. Taking advantage of the conditions, poachers are active in killing tigers. They said that at present villagers and the Forest Department are busy in plucking the tendu leaves as season is at its peak. RTI activists criticised the incident of tiger poaching in Madhya Pradesh.
 
Ajay Dubey, Prayatna Secretary, said, “Tiger poaching is continuously increasing in our State and the Forest Department has completely failed to control the menace. This is not the first time when a big cat has been electrocuted.” Sources said, because of territorial fight in Panna Tiger Reserve, a few tigers left the periphery and formed their territory in Majhgawa jungle of Satna. A tigress has also given birth to two cubs in the jungle. Number of tigers in the jungle reached to four. After the electrocution incident, Majhgawa jungle has now only three tigers. On April 8, an adult tiger was found dead in Bagaspur beat under Bineka forest circle of Ratapani Wildlife Sanctuary area under suspicious condition. Villagers residing around the area informed about the carcass of tiger to beat incharge. Several body parts, including nails, pugs, tail, etc were missing from the carcass which was suspected of poaching. This was the second case of tiger death in suspicious conditions in the same area within a week.