A tigress and her four cubs have died in Madhya Pradesh’s Kanha Tiger Reserve (KTR) in the past two weeks, with the mother and a cub passing away on Wednesday (April 29, 2026), officials said. So far, 27 tigers have died in the State in 2026.
The five animals died due to a lung infection, prompting the State’s wildlife officials to launch an investigation into the deaths as they suspect an outbreak of Canine Distemper Virus (CDV), which spreads through dogs.
Male tiger, two cubs, found dead at the Kanha Tiger Reserve
According to officials, the 10-year-old female tiger and her 18-month-old cub had been under quarantine since April 26 and died during treatment. The two had been tranquillised and brought in for treatment after three of her cubs were found dead between April 17 and 25 in the Sarhi range of KTR.
Chief Wildlife Warden Samita Rajora told The Hindu that the presence of CDV had been confirmed in the third cub that was found dead while samples of the mother and a cub who died on Wednesday (April 29) had been sent for testing.
