Canine Distemper Claims Another Tigress Cub In MP’s Kanha, Death Toll Rises To Nine

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): A three-year-old female cub showing symptoms of canine distemper disease died while undergoing treatment at Kanha Tiger Reserve on Tuesday.

With this, the number of deaths due to canine distemper disease in Kanha has risen to nine.

Sources in Kanha Tiger Reserve said the female cub was found in a weak condition on Aug 26 and was unable to walk properly. The patrolling team rescued it after seeking guidance from senior officers.

After the rescue, the cub was taken to a treatment facility and experts were consulted for its treatment. Despite all possible treatment, its life could not be saved.

Vital samples from the cub have been sent to a Jabalpur-based forensic laboratory to ascertain the exact cause of death.

Only one or two cases emerging

Kanha Tiger Reserve deputy director Prakash Kumar, in a video statement, conceded that the tigress cub had symptoms of Canine Distemper Virus.

He added that it is seen that the entire feline population gets wiped out due to CVD, but because of the alertness shown by forest officials in Kanha, only one or two cases of the disease are coming to the fore, which he termed a big achievement.

Disease first surfaced in April

CVD first broke out in Kanha Tiger Reserve in April. The disease first came to the fore when a tigress and her four cubs died one after another due to the disease in the Sarahi range.

Following the deaths, forest officials swung into action and started implementing the necessary protocol to contain the disease, which is considered deadly for tigers.

The disease spreads from dogs to tigers. If a dog eats leftover meat from an animal killed by a tiger, there is a threat that the tiger may contract CDV when it returns to feed on the kill.