MP: Tigress found dead in Kanha reserve, poaching suspected

A tigress has died after gettingstuck in a wire trap allegedly laid by poachers in MadhyaPradesh's Kanha Tiger Reserve, an official said on Wednesday.

The feline, around two years' old, was found dead onTuesday by some beat guards in Khapa forest range of the KanhaTiger Reserve (KTR) here, he said.

''The tigress died after getting entangled in a wiretrap used by poachers,'' a forest official said.

''It was a clutch wire (used in vehicles). A case hasbeen registered against unidentified persons under theWildlife Protection Act and search is underway for culprits,''KTR's deputy director Naresh Singh Yadav said.

An autopsy was conducted on Wednesday as per rules ofthe National Tiger Conservation Authority, he said.

According to the 2018 tiger census, Madhya Pradesh ishome to highest number of tigers in the country, giving it thetag of ''tiger state'', an official earlier said.

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