The Madhya Pradesh High Court has sought a detailed report from the state government and forest department on the deaths of eight tigers in Kanha National Park over the past two months, directing the authorities to explain the preventive and remedial measures taken in connection with the incidents.
A bench of Justices Vivek Jain and Ajay Kumar Nirankari directed the state government and forest department to submit their response within two weeks.
“The defendants (state government, forest department and parks department) must come out with specific assurances regarding the preventive and remedial measures taken in the matter of tiger deaths in Kanha National Park, along with their reply which must be submitted within two weeks,” the court order said.
The directive came on the basis of a petition filed by Mumbai-based lawyer and wildlife enthusiast Sobit Chakraborty, who raised concerns over recent tiger deaths linked to canine distemper virus (CDV) infection.
The petitioner has sought directions for recording complete dossiers relating to monitoring, veterinary reports and other protocol-related steps taken in connection with the death of tigress T-141 and her cubs, tigress T-122, tigress ‘Digdola’ and tigress T-220 between March and May 2026.
Chakraborty also urged officials to disclose the implementation status of CDV advisories issued by the National Tiger Conservation Authority on the Kanha Tiger Reserve and adjacent buffer/front villages, including details of vaccination drives, disease surveillance, veterinary coordination and interface management measures.
