Not poaching, but ‘illegal wires’: MP govt submits report on 8 tiger deaths in Bandhavgarh since November

A status report submitted by the Madhya Pradesh government into the deaths of eight tigers at the Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve between November 2025 and February 24, 2026, asserted that there is no evidence of poaching in any of the cases. According to the report, submitted to the Madhya Pradesh High Court following a Public Interest Litigation filed by wildlife activist Ajay Dubey, four of the deaths were caused by electrocution, while the remaining four were attributed to natural biological and ecological factors. Of the four electrocution cases, the report states that three tigers died after coming into contact with live electric wires laid in agricultural fields adjoining the reserve, while one tiger died after getting entangled in a solar-powered electric fence. Explaining the circumstances leading to these incidents, the report noted that due to their natural dispersal behaviour, tigers frequently move outside the protected area into nearby farmlands. “In such situations, farmers, at times, secretly resort to the use of illegal live wires, which are left in open agricultural fields, connected directly from overhead transmission lines, to protect crops from herbivorous animals,” the report said. “When tigers accidentally come into contact with such illegal live wires, electrocution occurs.” The report further reiterated that in fringe revenue areas, dispersing tigers may enter adjoining agricultural lands where illegal live wires are occasionally installed by private individuals for crop protection, creating a risk of accidental electrocution to wildlife. Addressing accountability, the government claimed that in each reported electrocution case, “prompt field response and legal action were undertaken, including spot inspection and field verification, registration of forest offence proceedings under applicable law, identification of persons responsible, action against offenders, and initiation of further legal procedure in accordance with law”. The remaining four tiger deaths, according to the report, “occurred due to biological and ecological factors inherent in wildlife populations and are not attributable to negligence or poaching”. It stated that deaths inside the Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve were due to natural causes such as diseases, territorial fights and drowning, which are unavoidable in wild animal populations. “There is no evidence of poaching in the reported cases from November 2025 till date,” the report said, adding that electrocution deaths occurred in revenue areas of territorial forest divisions due to illegal electric wire or solar fencing. “There are no evidences [sic] indicating systemic negligence on the part of Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve management,” it maintained. The status report also outlined corrective measures initiated by the reserve authorities. The field director of Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve has written to the electricity department warning that dilapidated power lines in and around the protected area pose a serious threat to wildlife, including tigers and elephants. In an official communication dated January 27, 2026, the Field Director flagged that 11 kV and low-tension electricity lines passing through core and buffer zones such as Tala, Magdhi, Khitoli, Panpatha, Dhamokhar and adjoining wildlife corridors are in dangerously poor condition. The letter directed the electricity department to immediately conduct technical audits of all power lines within protected areas and wildlife corridors, strengthen sagging lines through proper tensioning, and replace bare conductors with insulated aerial bunched cables at identified elephant crossing points. It also called for the installation of spike guards on electric poles to prevent damage by wild animals and warned against the practice of providing long-distance, temporary power connections without proper poles, terming it a grave violation that has already resulted in wildlife deaths due to electrocution. The PIL before the HC alleged that rising tiger mortality figures — including 54 deaths recorded in 2025 and an early spike in 2026 — reflected negligence, lax monitoring and failures in implementing adequate anti-poaching and safety protocols. During the hearings, the HC directed senior officials, including the field director of Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve, to submit detailed status reports on tiger mortality, the causes behind each death, and the action taken against those found responsible. In 2025 alone, Madhya Pradesh recorded 54 tiger deaths, the highest annual toll in the state since the launch of Project Tiger in 1973. Anand Mohan J is an award-winning Senior Correspondent for The Indian Express, currently leading the bureau’s coverage of Madhya Pradesh. With a career spanning over eight years, he has established himself as a trusted voice at the intersection of law, internal security, and public policy. Based in Bhopal, Anand is widely recognized for his authoritative reporting on Maoist insurgency in Central India. In late 2025, he provided exclusive, ground-level coverage of the historic surrender of the final Maoist cadres in Madhya Pradesh, detailing the backchannel negotiations and the "vacuum of command" that led to the state being declared Maoist-free. Expertise and Reporting Beats Anand’s investigative work is characterized by a "Journalism of Courage" approach, holding institutions accountable through deep-dive analysis of several key sectors: National Security & Counter-Insurgency: He is a primary chronicler of the decline of Naxalism in the Central Indian corridor, documenting the tactical shifts of security forces and the rehabilitation of surrendered cadres. Judiciary & Legal Accountability: Drawing on over four years of experience covering Delhi’s trial courts and the Madhya Pradesh High Court, Anand deconstructs complex legal rulings. He has exposed critical institutional lapses, including custodial safety violations and the misuse of the National Security Act (NSA). Wildlife Conservation (Project Cheetah): Anand is a leading reporter on Project Cheetah at Kuno National Park. He has provided extensive coverage of the biological and administrative hurdles of rewilding Namibian and South African cheetahs, as well as high-profile cases of wildlife trafficking. Public Health & Social Safety: His recent investigative work has uncovered systemic negligence in public services, such as contaminated blood transfusions causing HIV infections in thalassemia patients and the human cost of the fertilizer crisis affecting rural farmers. Professional Background Tenure: Joined The Indian Express in 2017. Locations: Transitioned from the high-pressure Delhi City beat (covering courts, police, and labor issues) to his current role as a regional lead in Madhya Pradesh. Notable Investigations: * Exposed the "digital arrest" scams targeting entrepreneurs. Investigated the Bandhavgarh elephant deaths and the impact of kodo millet fungus on local wildlife. Documented the transition of power and welfare schemes (like Ladli Behna) in Madhya Pradesh governance. Digital & Professional Presence Author Profile: Anand Mohan J at Indian Express Twitter handle: @mohanreports ... Read More