Frail tiger cub found dead in PTR

 

 

 

A female tiger cub, aged around five to six months, was found in a weak condition in the Ari Buffer Range of Pench Tiger Reserve (PTR) on January 24. Despite being provided with a nutritious diet and kept under continuous monitoring, the cub’s health continued to deteriorate, and it died on January 25, 2026. According to AI-enabled camera trap records, a tigress had earlier been sighted in the same area along with her four cubs. In view of this, forest officials initially allowed the cub to remain safely in the forest to facilitate a possible reunion with the mother tigress. During a follow-up search operation conducted the next day, the cub was located again. Considering its worsening condition, forest staff rescued the cub and placed it in a cage, where it was provided with meat and water.

 

The cub was kept under close observation through AI camera surveillance in the same area, in the hope of a reunion with the mother. However, the cub’s condition failed to improve and it succumbed on the morning of January 25, 2026. A post-mortem examination conducted by Senior Veterinary Officer Akhilesh Mishra indicated pneumonia as the probable cause of death. An old injury was also found on the cub’s left hind leg. Officials stated that these factors may have led the mother tigress to abandon the cub. Following the post-mortem, the carcass was disposed of through complete incineration in the presence of the Field Director, Pench Tiger Reserve, Seoni, in strict compliance with the guidelines of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA).