A 4–5 year old male tiger was discovered in a well near Chargaon village, Seoni district approximately 10–12 km from the Pench Tiger Reserve buffer zone
A young male tiger has been found dead inside a well in Madhya Pradesh’s Seoni district, pushing the state’s tiger death count to 24 for the current year, the highest figure recorded in this period over the last four years.
The animal, estimated to be between four and five years old, was spotted by locals on Sunday afternoon in a well at Chargaon (Pipardahi) village, falling under the Lakhanwada area of the Seoni Forest Division. The location sits roughly 10 to 12 kilometres from the buffer boundary of Pench Tiger Reserve.
Initial observations by forest officials point toward electrocution as the likely cause of death, with the carcass subsequently dumped into the well — possibly to make the death appear accidental. Since all body parts were found intact and injury patterns consistent with electric shock, investigators believe the tiger may have wandered into a nearby agricultural field where an illegal electric fence had been set up by farmers to keep out wild boar and other crop-raiding animals. The tiger likely followed prey into the field and came into contact with the live wire.
Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) L. Krishnamoorthy confirmed that veterinary and forensic teams have reached the site and that a detailed post-mortem examination will determine the precise cause of death. “The preliminary findings suggest electrocution, but we will wait for the necropsy report to confirm,” he stated.
Forest officials believe the tiger may have dispersed from Pench National Park in search of new territory, a pattern increasingly common as the tiger population inside the reserve grows while available forest land remains limited.
This death is the 24th recorded since the year began on 7 January. To put that in context, Madhya Pradesh reported 16 tiger deaths during the same January to April window in 2023, 17 in 2024, and 19 in 2025. The full-year figure for 2025 stood at 56 deaths, the highest annual toll since Project Tiger was launched in 1973.
The recent run of fatalities has been deeply concerning for conservationists. A tigress in Kanha Tiger Reserve lost two cubs within three days, reportedly due to starvation. Separate deaths were also reported in Panna Tiger Reserve and Balaghat district in recent weeks.
Electrocution has emerged as the second most common cause of tiger deaths in the state, after fatalities from territorial conflict among tigers. As Madhya Pradesh holds the largest tiger population in India 785 animals as per the 2022 Tiger Status Report the frequency of human-wildlife conflict incidents and unnatural deaths continues to raise serious alarm among wildlife authorities and conservationists alike.
