Bhopal: Electricity—meant to power homes and farms—is increasingly becoming a deadly trap for India’s wildlife. Madhya Pradesh, home to the country’s largest tiger population, witnessed an alarming rise in tiger deaths in 2025, with electrocution emerging as one of the most serious and preventable causes.
According to official data, 56 tigers died in Madhya Pradesh in 2025, the highest annual toll since Project Tiger was launched in 1973. While most deaths were attributed to natural causes, the rising number of accidental deaths, particularly due to illegal electric fencing, has raised serious concerns among wildlife experts and forest officials.
Disturbing Numbers: Tigers, Leopards, Bears Killed by Electrocution
Electrocution-related wildlife deaths are not isolated incidents. Over the last 10 years, illegal electric wires laid near agricultural fields and forest fringes have caused the deaths of:
- 39 tigers
- 101 leopards
- 36 bears
In 2025 alone, out of 56 tiger deaths in Madhya Pradesh:
- 38 died due to natural causes such as territorial fights, disease, or old age
- 12 young tigers died due to accidents
- 10 of these accidental deaths were caused by electrocution
The data highlights that young tigers, often dispersing from their natal areas in search of territory, are particularly vulnerable.
Recent Tiger Deaths: A Grim One-Month Timeline
A series of tiger deaths over a short period has intensified concern:
- December 7: A tiger died due to infection in Obedullaganj
- December 9: A male tiger was killed after being hit by a train in the Barkheda range of Raisen – Ratapani Tiger Reserve
- December 11: Two cubs died in Sanjay Dubri Tiger Reserve, Sidhi; cause remains unknown
- December 11: Carcass of an 18-month-old sub-adult tiger found in Katangi range, Balaghat; electrocution confirmed
- December 13: An 8-year-old tiger died due to electrocution in Chandia, connected to Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve, Umaria; farming was being carried out by encroaching on forest land
- December 28: A 6-year-old male tiger was found dead in Hilgan village, Sagar Dhana range; cause of death was electrocution
Why Farmers Lay Electric Wires: Compensation Gaps at the Core
According to Jasbir Chauhan, former PCCF (Wildlife), the root of the problem lies in inadequate compensation mechanisms for farmers.
Farmers often suffer crop damage due to herbivorous wildlife, such as deer and wild boar. These animals attract tigers and leopards, which follow them into agricultural fields. To protect crops, farmers resort to illegal electric fencing, which proves fatal for wildlife.
Under current rules in Madhya Pradesh, compensation is provided only if crop damage exceeds 25%. However, wildlife damage is often below 10%, leaving farmers ineligible for relief.
“In desperation, farmers lay electric wires to save their crops. These wires don’t just stop animals—they kill them,” Chauhan explains.
Learning from Other States: A Possible Solution
Experts point out that Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra have successfully reduced such incidents by authorising forest departments to provide compensation for crop damage. This approach has reduced farmer resentment and discouraged the use of illegal electric fencing.
Wildlife experts believe that adopting a similar compensation model in Madhya Pradesh could significantly reduce electrocution deaths.
Forest Department Responds: Patrolling and Coordination Ordered
Acknowledging the seriousness of the issue, Forest Force Chief Vijay Kumar Ambade has directed officers to:
- Conduct intensive patrolling in rural areas adjoining forests
- Take strict action against illegal electric wires and snares
- Increase vigilance in vulnerable corridors and fringe villages
Additionally, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) Shubhranjan Sen has written to the Energy Department, seeking coordination to prevent unsafe and illegal power connections near forest areas.
A Preventable Crisis
Conservationists warn that unless policy-level changes, farmer-friendly compensation, and inter-departmental coordination are implemented urgently, electrocution will continue to claim wildlife lives silently.
With Madhya Pradesh being the tiger capital of India, preventing such avoidable deaths is not just a state responsibility—it is a national conservation imperative.
Read also: MP’s Khivni Wildlife Sanctuary Sees Return of Wild Dogs After 25 Years, Tigress with Cubs Spotted
