BHOPAL: A tigress of Sanjay Gandhi Tiger Reserve in Sidhi district of Madhya Pradesh was found injured on railway tracks near the Katni-Chopan line on Wednesday morning.
The state’s chief wildlife warden, J S Chouhan, told TOI that teams have been sent from Mukundpur and Sanjay Gandhi reserve to rescue the tigress and ascertain the cause of its injury. “The reasons are not yet clear. We are trying to revive the tigress,” Chouhan said.
From preliminary assessment of the injuries, forest officers say it’s unlikely the tigress was hit by a train.
Wildlife activists have, however, expressed concern over the growing incidents of tigers being injured by trains. Officials say water holes within Satpura Tiger Reserve (STR) are drying up, pushing tigers out in search of water and prey. “The forest department must take steps to ensure the safety of tigers,” said activist Ajay Dubey.
In May 2021, a tiger cub was run over by a train in Betul district of Madhya Pradesh at night. The carcass was found near the tracks between Dodramohar and Polapatthar railway stations – around 50km from Itarsi junction. The same month, a tigress was run over by a train in Midghat area of Hoshangabad. Midghat section lies within Ratapani Tiger Reserve, where the tiger population has risen to around 50, as per the recent census.Last year, National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) had asked the Railway Board to go in for a smart, efficient and green rail infrastructure to minimise the impact on biodiversity and ecosystem functions in tiger landscapes, but nothing much happened. This advisory was issued in the wake of continuing diversion of corridors, core and buffer areas in tiger landscapes for expansion of rail network, gauge conversion and doubling of existing lines across the country.
