NEW DELHI: A recent investigation by the government has revealed that the death of a tiger in Madhya Pradesh is linked to the West Asia war. Wildlife experts are now calling for accountability and an audit of the effectiveness of the technology used for wildlife conservation.
Rakhi Nanda, the Field Director of the Satpura Tiger Reserve (STR), reported that a radio-collared tiger became untraceable after its signal lost contact with the satellite due to the war. In her report submitted to the Chief Wildlife Warden (PCCF-WL) in Bhopal, Nanda explained that the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), which provided the radio-collar and tracking technology, notified her that the Gulf conflict had disrupted the signal transmission from the collar to the satellite, resulting in the loss of the tiger’s last known location.
On March 27, forest officers discovered that the radio-collared tiger had been poisoned, buried, and its collar burned by poachers. Wildlife experts are demanding an immediate audit of all radio-collared tigers and accountability from the agencies responsible for supplying collars. Ajay Dubey, a wildlife expert in Bhopal, has criticised the use of “international war” as an excuse for local monitoring failures and is calling for a thorough explanation.
Nanda submitted her final report on March 28, detailing the sequence of events. According to the report, a tiger from Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve (BTR) was relocated to STR on December 24, 2024, with a collar provided by WWF. The tiger established its own territory, and there were no reports of human-animal conflict during that time. Consequently, the Chief Wildlife Warden ordered the removal of the collar on December 30, 2025.
To remove the collar, the field director required a team of elephants, veterinarians, and a rescue squad. Nanda noted that due to multiple issues, including the rescue of leopards in human habitats and the conservation and relocation of swamp deer and Indian bison, the collar could not be removed within the subsequent two months.