Tigress electrocuted; death toll in MP rises to 27 this yr

Bhopal: The carcass of an electrocuted tigress was fished out from a farm well in Madhya Pradesh's Seoni district on Sunday, prompting forest officials to detain the farm owner and another person for questioning on Monday. It has raised the number of big cats' deaths in the state to 27 so far this year.Preliminary investigations revealed an illegal electric trap set up near the farmland in Chargaon village along Seoni-Chhindwara highway killed the tigress, forest officials said. Burnt wires and electrical pegs have been recovered from near the well, they added."The carcass was later dumped in the well to mislead investigators. Critical evidence has been recovered from the site. We are examining all angles," divisional forest officer Mahendra Singh Uikey said. The post-mortem report confirmed electrocution as the cause of death and noted the claws of the tigress' hind legs were missing.Incidentally, the farm owner had called the forest department informing that a tiger had fallen into his well.The incident has added to growing concern about wildlife safety, considering a spate of mysterious deaths. Recently, a male tiger cub was found dead in Sarhi range of Kanha National Park days after its sibling died in the same area. In Balaghat district, a tiger carcass was recovered in East Baihar forest range.Forest department has urged the public to share any relevant information, assuring confidentiality as the investigation continues.