Tiger Electrocuted In MP Farmland, Farmer Held As Big Cat Death Toll Hits 27 In 2026

A sub-adult tiger was found electrocuted and its carcass dumped into a farm well in Seoni district of Madhya Pradesh, prompting the arrest of a farmer and raising fresh concerns over rising tiger deaths in the state.

Forest officials said the tiger, estimated to be around 1.5 to 2 years old , died after coming into contact with an electric trap in a revenue area under the South Seoni forest division . The carcass was discovered on April 26 when labourers working in a nearby field noticed the body in a well and alerted the forest department.

During a field investigation, officials recovered burnt electric wires, pegs and other electrical material about 50 metres from the well, indicating that the animal was electrocuted before its body was thrown into the well, possibly to make the death appear accidental.

Authorities suspect the tiger may have strayed from the buffer zone of Pench Tiger Reserve while chasing prey and entered farmland where a live electric wire had allegedly been set up to deter wild animals such as wild boar from damaging crops.

The well owner has been arrested , while another suspect is being questioned. The forest department has announced a reward of Rs 10,000 for information leading to further arrests in the case.

A post-mortem conducted under National Tiger Conservation Authority guidelines confirmed electrocution as the cause of death. Initial examination also noted that claws from the hind legs were missing , raising suspicion that the carcass may have been tampered with after the incident.

The death was the 25th big cat fatality reported in the state this year at the time of the incident . However, subsequent reports indicate that the number of tiger deaths in Madhya Pradesh has risen to 27 in 2026 .

The first tiger death this year was reported on January 7 in Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve. Officials said 11 tigers, including three cubs , have died since April 2 alone.

Reacting to the incident, wildlife activist Ajay Dubey termed it “shocking and alarming” and urged authorities to intensify forest patrols, particularly after the recent deaths of three tiger cubs within days in the Sarhi zone of Kanha Tiger Reserve.

Madhya Pradesh, often called India’s “Tiger State” , recorded 785 tigers in the 2022 census and has the highest tiger population in the country. The state is home to nine tiger reserves.