Second Tiger death in 2 days raises alarm in Bandhavgarh reserve

An adult tiger was found dead inside an old well within the Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve (BTR) in Madhya Pradesh’s Umaria district, forest officials confirmed on Friday, marking the second big-cat death reported in the reserve within two days.

According to officials, the carcass was discovered on Thursday evening in Kudri Tola village of Raipur, under the Dhamokhar range of the reserve. Acting on information from locals, forest department officials rushed to the site and cordoned off the area.

Eyewitnesses said a strong stench had been emanating from the abandoned well located about 1.5 kilometres from the village suggesting the tiger may have died five to six days before the carcass was spotted. The site lies nearly two kilometres from the nearest forest outpost.

“A search was conducted in the surrounding area with the help of a dog squad to rule out any foul play,” Dhamokhar Range Officer Dhruv Singh said.

Field Director of Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve, Anupam Sahay , said that the carcass was retrieved on Friday morning and sent for post-mortem examination. “The exact cause of death and the age of the tiger will be known after veterinary analysis,” he said.

The incident follows the discovery of a female tiger cub’s carcass on Wednesday in the Kathli beat of the reserve, where officials suspect the cub may have died following a territorial fight with another wild animal.

While authorities have not yet established a link between the two deaths, wildlife experts note that accidental falls into uncovered wells remain a recurring threat to large animals in forest landscapes overlapping with human settlements. Old, unused wells are often left unfenced, posing a serious hazard particularly during nocturnal wildlife movement.

If such incidents continue, it could indicate deeper challenges related to habitat fragmentation, human encroachment near core forest areas, and inadequate mitigation of man-made dangers within tiger corridors. Conservationists warn that repeated unnatural deaths, even if accidental, could undermine years of conservation gains in high-density tiger reserves like Bandhavgarh.

Officials said further action would be decided after post-mortem reports are received, even as calls grow louder for systematic mapping and securing of abandoned wells inside and around protected forest areas.