Shahdol, Feb 2 Two tigers -- one male and another female -- were allegedly electrocuted to death in Madhya Pradesh's Shahdol district in suspicious circumstances, prompting the senior forest officials to initiate an immediate search operation in the area.
According to information, the carcasses of the big cats were spotted in the Banchachar village of the Jaisinghnagar range in the North Forest division of Shahdol district, a forest official told IANS on Monday.
The carcass of the tigress was spotted on Sunday evening, while the body of a male tiger was found nearly 100 metre away on Monday morning, following which, the forest team launched an extensive search operation.
Confirming the incident, Divisional Forest Officer Taruna Verma said that two tigers have been killed, and the exact cause of death of the big cats are being examined.
"The post-mortem examination is being conducted as per rules, and all aspects of the investigation are being thoroughly examined to ascertain the exact reason of the death," he added.
Verma also said that the forest department's dog squad team, field staff, and other expert teams are conducting an intensive search operation in the area.
"The role of the concerned farmer is being investigated, and strict legal action will be taken against him if found guilty," he added.
Wildlife activist Ajay Dubey claimed that both tigers died due to electrocution.
He told IANS that a farmer had illegally laid an electric wire in his field to protect his crops from wild animals.
He alleged that one after another tiger is being killed in Madhya Pradesh due to the negligence of the forest officials.
"Senior forest officials should be held responsible for these incidents. It's time for accountability in Madhya Pradesh's wildlife wing," Dubey told IANS, adding that he will be writing a letter to the Chief Minister's Office and the State Wildlife Board regarding this issue.
Madhya Pradesh, which has retained the title of a 'Tiger State' has reported 55 deaths of the big cats (the highest in the country) in 2025.
Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor