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Sonewani Tiger Tragedy, Cover-Ups Erode the Tiger State Tag

A shocking case in Madhya Pradesh exposes negligence, illegal cremation, and absconding forest staff - raising doubts over tiger conservation efforts.  Madhya Pradesh which never misses a chance to flaunt its title as the “Tiger State of India,” now finds itself under a cloud of suspicion and criticism. A recent incident in the Sonewani Conservation Reserve of Balaghat  has revealed not only negligence but what appears to be a deliberate cover-up by the very people entrusted with safeguarding the state’s most iconic species. In July, a tiger was found dead in the reserve,but instead of following mandatory procedures, it was allegedly burnt without informing senior forest officers. The matter only came to light when photographs of the cremation surfaced in a WhatsApp group  on August 2 2025. By then, critical evidence was already destroyed. Also read :  Ken Betwa Project : Plan to Massacre Millions of Trees Give Goosebumps The revelation triggered outrage,leading to ...
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Tiger Poaching In Panna National Park


 Sorry again to begin the New Year on a negative note. In less than a month’s time, when wildlife lovers have not forgotten the gruesome incident of a tiger poaching and the images of the  tiger carcass hanging from a tendu tree, another tiger was killed. The December 7 tiger poaching had happened 20 kms away from the park this time  the tiger poaching has taken place right inside Panna national park. The  tiger was electrocuted in Kishenganj range of buffer zone of the tiger reserve.

Casual Appoach of Park Management   


The latest case of tiger poaching was reported on the intervening night of January 3 and 4. In fact a hyena was also electrocuted. It was a well built beautiful tiger that lost life right inside the park where poachers used the supply line passing from the park to kill the animal.  But more depressing was a statement of the park director, Brajendra Jha who said this was part of the birth of tigers and their death.  More tigers have been born in Panna tiger reserve than those who have died, he said without blinking an eye.  He also said that most of such incidents take place in the night but it was not possible to patrol all along the supply lines passing over the park.

Also read: No This Tiger Did Not Commit Suicide, Body Found Hanging Near Panna Tiger Reserve 

 The field director also said that the trap was laid for wild boar hunting but the tiger was killed. Even if the poachers intended  to kill a wild boar that too inside the park, it is something very serious and can’t be taken lightly. The park director hardly has any experience of wildlife conservation and management and it was perhaps his first such posting.  Unfortunately, there is a dearth of good officers in Madhya Pradesh who are interested in wildlife.

MP Lacks Green Army  


With the maximum number of 526 tigers , Madhya Pradesh also has the largest forest cover in the country, followed by Arunachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha and Maharashtra .The forest cover contributes 25.14% of the total geographical area of the state and is spread over 77493 sq km area, according to India State of the Forest Report 2021.  

Also read: Before Cheetah Came To Kuno,India Attempted To Clone Asiatic Species 

The state’s protected forest area is spread across 10 national parks and 26 wildlife  sanctuaries but there seems to be a shortfall of a dedicated green force to   protect  this wealth, admits a senior official of Indian forest service in this central Indian state. In  2009, Panna had  witnessed a catastrophe when all its tiger population was poached and the tiger became extinct from the park. It was followed by a successful tiger relocation programme . Presently, there are more than 70 tigers in Panna tiger reserve. Many of the big cats of the tiger reserve have to move out  to create territory  and when they do so, they are killed.

By Deshdeep Saxena

Images Courtsey Panna Tiger Reserve 

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Location: Panna National Park, NH 75, Madhya Pradesh 471405, India

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