Tiger Dies After Being Hit By Train In MP's Budhni, Medics Fight To Save Two Cubs

Sehore: A tiger was killed after being hit by a train from near the Joshipur village in the Budhni area of ​​the Sehore district in Madhya Pradesh, while two small cubs were seriously injured. The forest department called a team of expert doctors from Bhopal for the treatment of the cubs. 

One of the cubs, a nearly nine-month-old male, succumbed to his injuries near the railway track, while the two others remained stranded in a drain near the rail line, the official said.

Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) MS Dabar said that according to the information that he had received, a tiger died on the spot after being hit by a train, while two small cubs were injured.

Death Trap For Tigers?

He said a team of expert doctors were called from Bhopal to provide immediate treatment to the injured. It has been said that the forest department has not made any security arrangements near the railway track, due to which the lives of all the animals living in the forest area always remain in danger.

Injured Tiger Cubs Shifted to Bhopal From Sehore in Special Train

In a heart-warming gesture, a special single-coach AC train was deployed from Bhopal to rescue injured tiger cubs from the Midghat section near Budhni in Sehore district on Tuesday. 

The train was operated by West Central Railway (WCR) to rescue three tiger cubs injured after being struck by a train in the forested area in Midghat, around 70 km from Bhopal, during the intervening nights of July 14-15, an official said. 

The train was dispatched on the directions of Chief Minister Mohan Yadav.

Rescue efforts on Monday were hit when the mother of the cubs arrived at the spot, preventing anyone from approaching them, the official said.

The operation was halted due to darkness and resumed on Tuesday morning. 

A team of veterinarians and Satpuda Tiger Reserve officials successfully rescued the two female cubs. 

The special train dispatched by the West Central Railway (WCR) transported the severely injured cubs to Rani Kamalapati railway station in Bhopal before being shifted to Van Vihar National Park for treatment. The hind legs of both rescued cubs are currently non-functional due to the effects of tranquillising drugs. 

They are scheduled for further examination and treatment on Wednesday, once the effects of the medication diminish, the official said.

Over 34 Tigers Died in MP in 2023

At least 34 tigers died in Madhya Pradesh in 2023 - the highest in the country. Most of the deaths in 2023 happened inside protected tiger reserve area.

Madhya Pradesh is home to seven tiger reserves, which are protected areas that are specifically designed to conserve tigers. These reserves are home to a variety of other wildlife, including leopards, elephants, sloth bears, and deer.

(with inputs from Abhay Singh Tomar and PTI)