MP turns tigers’ graveyard: 30th victim white tigress fell to botched mating attempt

Special Correspondent

NewsBits.in

Bhopal: Madhya Pradesh has literally turned into graveyard for tigers with 30 big cats dying or getting killed in state till now in 2016. The latest victim is a four-year-old rare white tigress in the Mukundpur tiger safari of Satna district.

Activists have cried foul over the death and alleged that it was result of a botched mating attempt by the Mukundpur zoo authorities in violation of norms.

The white tigress Radha had reportedly stopped taking food since last three days and breathed her last on Tuesday night. She was injured about a fortnight ago in a clash with a royal Bengal tiger that was let into her enclosure in an attempt of getting them to mate.

Wildlife activist Ajay Dubey has filed a complaint with Central Zoo Authority (CZA), blaming the death of the rare white tigress on negligence of the Mukundpur zoo officials.

In his complaint letter, Dubey said that the mating was attempted despite absence of experts and Mukundpur not having the status of a breeding centre. Also the zoo does not have veterinarians with expertise in wildlife treatment. Therefore the injured tigress could not be cured.

CBI INQUIRY DEMAND

Dubey has demanded sacking of forest minister Gaurishankar Shejwar and an CBI inquiry into the continuing deaths of tigers in MP, especially that of the white tigress.

During past one week, three tigers have perished in MP – two in Satna and one in Bandhavgarh tiger reserve.

The activist said that the MP government, administration and forest officials have all adopted very casual attitude towards tiger conservation despite strict rules in place.

The state has repeatedly failed to fix accountability of authorities in different cases of deaths of tigers. Also, the state failed to implement recommendations of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) regarding top-level regular monitoring of investigations into tiger deaths.

Also the forest minister of chief minister never took any stringent action against any official in any case of tiger death, thus allowing the conservation authorities to remain casual and negligent towards their task.

MP was once known as tiger state, having highest number of big cats in its national parks and tiger reserves. However, since past few years, MP lost that pride of place with repeated deaths of tigers reported.