MP: Tigress poached in Seoni jungles, 29th in 13 months

BHOPAL: Madhya Pradesh recorded its first tiger death due to poaching this year, with an adult tigress being killed in Barghat jungles of Seoni district on Saturday. This is the 29th big cat poached in the state in the last 13 months.
The tigress was found dead in Dhami Jhola area of wild cat corridor near the protected jungles by villagers early in the morning, following which an alarm was raised.

“Since its paws were chopped off, it seems that it was a handiwork of poachers,” a senior forest official said.

The wild cat corridor in Barghat range of forests is connected to Pench tiger reserve. Officials believe that the tigress was moving from the reserve, venturing into new territory, when it fell prey to poachers.

The forest department has formed a team to investigate the circumstances leading to the death of the tigress. The body was sent for an autopsy.

“It was a female adult tiger and must have died three to four days ago. Carcass was found at compartment number 493 on Kanha-Pench tiger corridor,” Dhirendra Bhargava, CCF Balaghat told TOI. The spot is around 40 km from the district headquarters.