Amidst worries regarding the unexpected demise of Cheetahs in the National Kuno Park, a seven-month-old female tiger cub was discovered dead under suspicious circumstances at the Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh, said officials.
Assistant Conservator of Forest (ACF) of Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve, FS Ninama, said tthat it is suspected cub might have been fatally injured in a fight with another tiger. The official further revealed that pugmarks belonging to another tiger were discovered close to the body of the deceased cub.
Shortly after the demise of the tiger cub was reported, officials introduced dog squads to assist in the ongoing investigation of the incident.
Earlier in April, a female tiger cub, which was 7-8 months old, was killed in an attack by a male tiger.
Madhya Pradesh a prominent tiger habitat
The death of tiger cub was reported a month after Madhya Pradesh regained its status as a prominent tiger habitat, hosting a population of 785 big cats. According to the latest data released by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) on the occasion of International Tiger Day - titled 'Status of Tigers Co-predators & Prey in India, 2022', the state has topped the list of the highest number of tigers and again became the tiger state.
Madhya Pradesh tops the country in tiger population at 785, followed by Karnataka at 563, Uttarakhand at 560 and Maharashtra at 444.
Bandhavgarh Reserve has 135 tigers
The NTCA report stated further that Madhya Pradesh is home to the highest number of six tiger reserves in the state - Kanha Tiger Reserve, Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve, Panna Tiger Reserve, Pench Tiger Reserve, Satpura Tiger Reserve and Sanjay-Dubri Tiger Reserve.
The tiger abundance within the Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh is highest in Bandhavgarh (135), followed by Khana (105) and Pench (77).
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(With ANI inputs)
