A rewilded male tiger was found dead inside the core area of Nauradehi Wildlife Sanctuary, now part of the Rani Durgavati Tiger Reserve, in Sagar district of Madhya Pradesh, forest officials confirmed on Monday. The discovery has sparked concern among wildlife experts and conservationists, given the tiger’s recent translocation and the high expectations attached to reintroduction efforts.
A three-to-four-year-old tiger which had been rescued as a cub underwent training through a rewilding program. The tiger was then moved from Kanha Tiger Reserve to Nauradehi in mid-January as part of the state’s long-term conservation program which aims to increase tiger numbers in areas with low tiger density. The satellite radio collar enabled continuous monitoring of its movements throughout the day.
Officials first became alarmed when the tiger’s collar signalled no movement for more than 48 hours. The ground team found the carcass at Manegaon Beat in Mohli Range on February 15. Preliminary reports indicate death occurred because of a territorial clash between two male tigers, which left pugmarks of a second big cat at the location. The forest authorities have excluded both poaching and electrocution as immediate causes of death, but the actual cause will be determined through complete post-mortem examination and laboratory tests.
The incident has drawn criticism from wildlife activists who allege monitoring lapses and delays in response, pointing out that alerts from the satellite collar were not acted upon promptly as required under National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) protocols. Calls have been made for an independent inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the death and the broader safety of reintroduction programmes, especially as the reserve is slated to host other sensitive species like cheetahs later this year.
The loss comes amid a troubling trend of tiger fatalities across Madhya Pradesh, raising fresh questions about the challenges of wildlife management even as the state continues to bolster its conservation initiatives.
