Bhopal: A young tigress was found death in Katni forest areas on Tuesday, taking the death toll to five in the state since January 1 this year. Meanwhile, 16-year-old Munna, a prominent tiger of Kanha Tiger Reserve who has gone missing was spotted on Tuesday in buffer zone.
The carcass of the tigress – around two to three years old – was recovered from Kundam forest in Katni district. The big cat might have died around three days back. The tigress sustained injuries in thorax region, however, the exact cause of the death will be known after the autopsy. Katni Regional field general manager NS Dongarial said the tigress had injuries in thorax region so there are chances that it might have got entangled in wired fencing raised by forest department for the protection of other animals. The injuries might have led to its death, he added Munna, who is extremely popular among tourists, was reported missing for last four days in Kanha Tiger Reserve, was finally spotted on Tuesday. Director(field) Kanha Tiger Reserve Sanjay Shukla confirmed Tiger was not sighted in core belt of the Reserve. However, the forest guards have spotted the big cat in buffer zone. Wildlife experts claim the striped cats tend to move towards human habitation, when either they are injured or are unable to hunt due to old age conditions.
Meanwhile, the state’s first casualty of the year has been reported from Balaghat district where a tiger was found dead inside a well in Nagjhola beat on January 2.Two tigers were found dead in Kanha reserves and in Umaria on January 15. Later on January 19, a 7-year-old tigress was found dead in Churna range of Satpura Tiger Reserve, Hoshangabad district. According to National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) data of the 98 tiger deaths reported in the country in 2017, 26 were from MP, however, the wildlife activists give a much higher figure.
