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 the arrest of six chowkidars. But the deeper rot became evident when a deputy ranger Tikaram Hinote and a forest guard Himanshu Ghormere were named as accused and promptly went absconding. On August 25, the State Tiger Force was forced to announce rewards for their arrest. The absconding of government employees—who should have been the protectors of wildlife—speaks volumes about the decay within the forest department. If those on the front line of protection turn into collaborators in cover-ups, what hope is left for the tiger?, said Abhay Kochar , a wildlife activist  in Balaghat .

A Pattern of Repeated Failures 

This is not a one-off tragedy. Madhya Pradesh has been recording an alarmingly high number of tiger deaths in recent years. By August 2025, the state had lost 30 tigers, including adults, sub-adults,and cubs. This marks a disturbing trend in tiger mortality for the state this year. They include the deaths in Sonewani and Narmadapuram, where a tiger carcass was found floating in a rivulet( the above image)   It always  sad to carry such images but  sometimes it becomes necessary to wake up the system in slumbers .Believed to be a big cat from Satpura national park, investigations are on.  Many deaths are attributed to natural causes, but the sheer frequency and the suspicious circumstances surrounding several cases suggest something more sinister. Electrocution,poisoning, snares, and outright poaching have repeatedly been reported. Yet,accountability within the department remains a rarity.

Also read: Cheetah From Kuno National Park Strays 180 Km to Ranthambhore

The head of the forest force, V N Ambade, in a letter to field directors of national parks and Chief Conservators of Forests, has already expressed concern about the increasing tiger and leopard deaths.  Regretting the Sonewani incident, he said that “ it was unbecoming for the forest department” .But mere letters do not save tigers. What matters is enforcement, transparency, and the political will to punish those complicit in such crimes. So far, MadhyaPradesh’s record suggests a department more eager to protect its own staff than the animals it is supposed to guard, a senior official said.

Destroying Evidence, Destroying Trust

The Balaghat case’s most disturbing element is the alleged illegal cremation of the tiger in Sonewani  reserve located in Kanha-Pench corridor-located in Kanha-Pench corridor. Protocols exist for a reason: every tiger death must be reported, a post-mortem conducted in the presence of veterinarians and NTCA representatives, and the scene preserved for investigation. By burning the carcass secretly, the forest staff obliterated the chance to learn whether the death was natural or caused by human hands.This isn’t negligence; it is obstruction of justice, pointed out a senior officer of Indian forest service (IFS) .

Also read: Teeming With Tigers, India Needs To Manage Their Population

When the protectors of wildlife destroy evidence, suspicion naturally turns toward their involvement in the crime itself. Were they hiding signs of poisoning? Was there an attempt to shield poachers or insiders? These are questions that can no longer be answered because the body-the most vital piece of evidence-was reduced allegedly to ashes. This is not just a breach of law; it is a betrayal of public trust.

Activists Demand an Independent Probe

Wildlife activists have rightly demanded that the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) take over the investigation. Balaghat based   activist Abhay Kochar has written a letter to the WCCB requesting to take up the issue. He said that ," There is no evidence of even  carcass burning,  which is why I termed it disposing of the body", he told this blogger. How can the same department accused of wrongdoing be trusted to conduct a fair probe into its own misdeeds?, he asked 

Also read:Selfie  With Leopard

 The WCCB, with its national mandate and independent standing, is far better placed to uncover the truth. This demand stems from bitter experience. Time and again, internal departmental inquiries into suspicious wild life deaths in Madhya Pradesh have ended in whitewashes. At best, low-ranking staff becomes scapegoat while the larger network of negligence and corruption goes untouched. Unless an external agency steps in, this case risks going the someway, a senior police official in Balaghat opined.

The Erosion of the “Tiger State” Title

Madhya Pradesh has built an international reputation on its tiger reserves—Kanha, Bandhavgarh, Pench, and Satpura are global names in wildlife tourism. The state consistently boasts the highest tiger population in India, a status that fuels tourism revenues and conservation pride. But every suspicious death chips away at that image. If the state cannot guarantee the survival of its tigers, the “Tiger State” title will become nothing more than hollow branding.The world still remembers the disgrace of Panna Tiger Reserve in the early 2000s, when poaching wiped out its tiger population entirely. It took years of reintroduction and massive investment to restore it. Balaghat is a warning sign that similar negligence is alive and well in Madhya Pradesh’s forests.

Also read: Cheetah 'Shoot' near Kuno village, Grok  Suggests Course Correction

The tiger’s death in Sonewani Conservation Reserve is not just an isolated tragedy. It is a damning indictment of the rot in Madhya Pradesh’s conservation machinery. Illegal cremations, absconding guards, and destroyed evidence do not happen by accident—they happen because a culture of impunity allows them to.If Madhya Pradesh truly wishes to remain the “Tiger State,” it must prove it in deeds, not slogans. That means transparent investigations, harsh penalties for wrongdoing, and systemic reforms that prioritize the tiger over departmental face-saving. Otherwise, the forests of Madhya Pradesh risk becoming not sanctuaries of pride, but graveyards of negligence.

By Deshdeep Saxena

Representative images from Balaghat  district administration, GOMP