Ranit Kr. Singh , Bhopal – The Madhya Pradesh High Court has directed the state government and forest department to submit a detailed report within two weeks regarding the deaths of eight tigers at Kanha National Park over the last two months. A divisional vacation bench consisting of Justices Vivek Jain and Ajay Kumar Nirankari ordered authorities to explicitly outline the preventive and curative protocols implemented to address these fatalities. The directive comes amid growing panic over a potential outbreak affecting the region's apex predators.

The judicial intervention follows a petition filed by Mumbai-based advocate and wildlife enthusiast Subit Chakraborty. The plea highlighted grave concerns over recent tiger casualties linked to Canine Distemper Virus (CDV), a highly contagious viral disease. Specifically, Chakraborty sought the official monitoring records, veterinary logs, and protocol steps concerning the deaths of several notable big cats—including tigress T-141 and her cubs, tigress T-122, and tigers "Digdola" and T-220—all of whom perished between March and May 2026.

Additionally, the petitioner urged officials to disclose how effectively they have implemented the National Tiger Conservation Authority’s (NTCA) guidelines. The court's order mandates that the state reveal the exact status of local domestic animal vaccination drives, disease surveillance, and veterinary coordination across Kanha and its surrounding buffer zones. Managing the interface villages is considered critical, as CDV is frequently transmitted to wild carnivores through infected village dogs.