Madhya Pradesh: Tiger electrocuted in trap laid for wild boars; 4 people arrested

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A tiger got electrocuted in a trap laid by villagers for protecting their agriculture fields against wild boars in Madhya Pradesh's Balaghat district, a forest official said on Tuesday.

Four people were arrested after the feline's carcass was on Sunday night found buried close to a drain in a forest area near Ratta village, chief conservator of forest Narendra Kumar Sanodia told PTI.

The villagers had laid the trap and connected it with an electricity line to keep away wild boars from their fields, but the tiger, which was 10 to 12 years old, got trapped in it, he said.

When some villagers found the tiger dead in the trap, they got scared. They then allegedly removed the carcass from there and buried it under sand near the drain, the official said.

After experiencing a foul smell in the area, the forest beat guards pressed a dog squad into service and located the spot where the dead tiger was buried, he said.

The carcass was exhumed, sent for an autopsy and later disposed of as per guidelines of the National Tiger Conservation Authority.

All vital body parts of the feline, including nails, were found intact, the official said, adding it gives credence to the theory that the animal was killed without any motive.

Four people, identified as Mithun Parte, Sunil Uikey, Ankesh Madavi and Tejlal Madavi, were arrested in connection with the killing of the tiger and booked under provisions of the Wildlife Protection Act, he said.

According to the 2018 tiger census, Madhya Pradesh was home to highest number of tigers in the country.

The state has a number of tiger reserves, including Kanha, Bandhavgarh, Pench, Satpura and Panna.

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