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A tigress and her cub have died at Kanha Tiger Reserve in Madhya Pradesh, taking the total number of tiger deaths in the state this year to 27, officials confirmed on Thursday.

The tigress, estimated to be between eight and ten years old, and her cub, around 18 months old, had been undergoing treatment in a quarantine facility within the reserve. Both died on Wednesday despite veterinary care, according to wildlife veterinarian Dr Sandeep Agarwal.

The deaths follow the recent loss of three other cubs belonging to the same tigress, which reportedly died between 21 and 25 April due to a combination of natural causes, drowning and respiratory infection. The tigress and her surviving cub had been rescued from the Sarhi range last week before being moved to the treatment centre.

Officials said post-mortem examinations were conducted, and the remains were disposed of in accordance with established protocols.

Madhya Pradesh, which recorded 785 tigers in the 2022 census — the highest in India — is home to nine tiger reserves. However, the rising number of fatalities this year has raised fresh concerns among conservationists and wildlife observers.

The first tiger death of 2026 was reported on 7 January in Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve. Since then, 26 more big cats, including cubs, have died across the state. Officials noted that 12 of these deaths, including four cubs, have occurred since early April alone.

Wildlife activist Ajay Dubey has criticised what he described as inadequate on-ground monitoring in tiger reserves. He alleged that limited presence of field staff and increasing human activity in protected areas may be contributing to risks faced by the animals.

He also pointed to the movement of villagers into forest areas for collection of forest produce such as mahua flowers, chironji and tendu leaves, often accompanied by domestic animals. According to him, this raises the possibility of disease transmission to wildlife.

Concerns have also been raised about insufficient implementation of vaccination programmes for livestock and stray animals in buffer zones surrounding reserves, as recommended by the National Tiger Conservation Authority. Some experts believe that diseases such as canine distemper virus could pose a threat to tiger populations if preventive measures are not enforced effectively.

Forest authorities have not yet confirmed the exact cause of the latest deaths, and further investigation is expected.

With PTI inputs