Tiger state Madhya Pradesh lost two big cats in a single day on Thursday.
In the first case, a tiger, named P-111 was found dead on the roadside by some locals in Panna Tiger Reserve (PTR).
According to PTR officials, P-111 was nearly 13 years old and was suffering from kidney disease.
Officials have ruled out foul play as there was no sign of any illegal activity near the spot where the carcass was found.
It was the offspring of tigress T-1, a tigress that was brought to Panna from Pench in 2009 after big cats became extinct there.
P-111, which was born in April 2009 was the first litter of his mother.
After an autopsy, P-111's samples were sent for virology and toxicology testing to ascertain the exact cause of the death
The carcass was then disposed of in the presence of senior forest officials and the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) representatives.
On the same day, a sub-adult tiger was found dead in the forest of Akola buffer.
The cub, P-234, which was around 10-months-old is said to have died in a territorial fight.
According to reports, 18 tigers have died in Madhya Pradesh so far this year.
In April, three big cats died in Satpura Tiger Reserve on the same day, due to territorial fights.
The first to be spotted was the carcass of a female cub, aged around 5-6 months. She had multiple injuries on her body, suggesting a possible attack by an adult tiger.
Close to her, another tiger aged around eight years was found severely injured and gasping for breath.?
The injured animal was tranquilised and taken for treatment, but it could not survive.?
On the same day, another tiger was found dead in Chikhalbadi range of the Balaghat forest area, which is a corridor for tigers between Pench and Kanha.
In the first four months of 2022, a total of 39 tiger deaths were reported from across India, out of which 14 were from Madhya Pradesh.
As per the All India Tiger Estimation Report 2018, Madhya Pradesh had the highest number of 526 big cats in the country.
Since tigers were reintroduced to Panna in 2009, their numbers have grown and today the big cat population there is estimated to be around 75, including 25 cubs that were born last year.
Like many Tiger reserves in India, Panna is also facing a problem of overpopulation, which is leading to fights for territory, sometimes leading to deaths.
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