The Madhya Pradesh High Court has issued notice to the state government on the death of eight tigers in and around Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve, which has raised concerns about the steps being taken for wildlife protection and conservation. The issue was before a division bench of Justice Vivek Jain and Justice A.K. Nirankari with the next hearing to take place on June 22.
The problem was put before the court in a PIL petition filed by Bhopal wildlife activist Ajay Dubey. Petitioners pointed out that several tigers were seen to have poor physical condition prior to their deaths and believed that diseases like Canine Distemper Virus (CDV) might have been a cause of their deaths.
As per the report, Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve officials have reported 8 deaths of tigers in just two and a half months from November 21 to February 2. 4 deaths reported within the reserve and 4 deaths in adjoining forest areas.
As per the official report, two had died due to fights with tigers and one drowns in a well and another because of a natural illness. Four more deaths were reportedly due to electrocution, continuing concerns about human-wildlife conflict in the forest fringe.
The High court told the petitioners to respond to the state’s status report. The case has been brought into focus as Madhya Pradesh is known as “Tiger State” and in 2025, 54 tiger deaths were reported in the state. Now conservationists are seeking a robust monitoring mechanism, disease surveillance and better protection for the nation’s tiger population.