Five tigers—a mother and her four cubs—were discovered dead in the M.M. Hills Wildlife Sanctuary in Karnataka’s Chamarajanagar district. Preliminary investigations point to suspected poisoning.
The tragic discovery was made in the Gajanur beat of the Meenyam Section, within the Hoogyam range of the sanctuary. The remains of a cow near the site bolster fears that the tiger may have consumed poisoned bait, unwittingly leading her cubs to their deaths as well.
Forest officials believe the mother tiger, roughly 11 years old, had killed the cow and returned to the carcass after partially consuming it. It is suspected that the meat was poisoned by miscreants in retaliation or to prevent future cattle killings.
Responding swiftly, Karnataka’s Minister for Forests, Ecology and Environment Eshwar B. Khandre called the incident “a grave blow to tiger conservation.” He vowed stringent action, stating, “The guilty will not be spared.”
A high-level inquiry committee—comprising senior officials and wildlife experts—has been constituted to investigate the case. Necropsies are being conducted as per NTCA protocols, and samples have been sent for toxicology and DNA analysis.
In the wake of the incident, monitoring has intensified across the sanctuary. Anti-poaching units are on high alert, with GPS-based patrols, infrared camera surveillance, and confidential informer networks activated.
Once proposed as a tiger reserve, the M.M. Hills Wildlife Sanctuary spans 906 square kilometres and is home to a variety of wildlife, including tigers, elephants, and leopards. Conservationists say this tragedy underscores the urgent need to revisit that proposal and enhance protections in the region.
