Young male tiger found dead in Chhattisgarh, electrocution and poaching suspected

RAIPUR: A young male tiger was found dead under suspicious circumstances in Chhattisgarh’s Surajpur district, near the Guru Ghasidas–Tamor Pingla Tiger Reserve, with forest officials suspecting a combination of electrocution and poaching.

The carcass was recovered on Monday morning from compartment number 705 in the Ghui forest range, Bhainsamunda circle under Revti area. Villagers first spotted the carcass and alerted the forest department, following which a team of officials and veterinarians rushed to the spot.

Preliminary examination suggested the tiger had died two days back. Injury marks were found on its back, and in a clear sign of possible poaching, the tiger’s canines and claws were missing. An sharp iron implement was also recovered from the site.

Forest officials suspect the wild cat may have first come in contact with a live wire laid illegally for hunting and was later mutilated for body parts.

“Prima facie, this appears to be a case of electrocution, followed by poaching,” said Arun Kumar Pandey, PCCF (Wildlife), speaking to TOI. “We have ordered a detailed post-mortem and sent written authorisation. A Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) officer along with experts is on the spot, and a sniffer dog team has also been deployed. We recently cracked a similar case in Khairagarh division, where a panther’s carcass was found and four accused were arrested. We are confident this case too will be solved," PCCF said.

The dead tiger was not among the individuals already being tracked by the department. Officials believe it may have dispersed from Wadrafnagar range before reaching Ghui. The area forms part of a crucial landscape where tiger movement is recorded from Madhya Pradesh through Chhattisgarh to Jharkhand.

Forest staff said the Ghui–Guru Ghasidas–Tamor Pingla belt has seen the movement of four to five tigers in recent months. A tigress with two cubs has also been reported in the broader landscape, underlining the ecological importance of the corridor where the carcass was found.

A team of veterinarians will conduct the post-mortem in the presence of senior officers, after which the carcass will be cremated as per protocol. Forest Department has launched an investigation into suspected poaching and illegal electrification, and is questioning local residents.

Officials say the incident is a serious setback for a landscape that is emerging as a key tiger habitat in north Chhattisgarh.

“Tiger presence here is a sign of a healthy forest, and losing a young male in this manner is deeply worrying,” a senior officer said. “We will pursue this case to its logical end.”


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