Madhya Pradesh: Carcass of 'poached' tiger found, 2 forest officials suspended; tigress, 3 cubs missing

BHOPAL: Decomposed carcass of a tiger was found in the Panpatha buffer zone of the Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve ( BTR ) in Madhya Pradesh recently in a suspected case of poaching, forest officials said, adding that a deputy ranger and a forest guard have been suspended.

The carcass, estimated to be around 10 days old, was found on Oct 3, though its condition made identification impossible. After a postmortem examination by veterinary experts, the carcass was cremated as per protocol.

Sources said BTR field director Anupam Sahay has suspended deputy ranger (range assistant) Shankar Singh Kol and forest guard Pankaj Kumar Chandel for negligence in patrolling duties.

The State Tiger Strike Force has now joined the investigation to determine whether the death was due to natural causes, territorial conflict, or poaching.

Meanwhile, a tigress known as Kantivah and her three cubs have gone missing. Officials said Kantivah has not been sighted since the carcass was found. Officials say it's too early to say whether the carcass belongs to the missing tigress.