The Supreme Court has taken cognizance of the recent deaths of five tigers in Karnataka's Male Mahadeshwara (MM) Hills Wildlife Sanctuary and has directed both the Karnataka government and the Central government to respond to the matter. The court's intervention follows reports indicating that the tigers, a tigress and her four cubs, died due to poisoning.
The incident, which came to light on June 26, 2025, is suspected to be a case of retaliatory poisoning, where villagers allegedly laced a cattle carcass with pesticides after the tigress killed their cow. Three individuals have been arrested in connection with the incident. Preliminary investigations suggest the poison used was a highly toxic insecticide, possibly carbofuran.
A bench headed by Chief Justice of India Bhushan R. Gavai expressed serious concerns about the incident and the systemic failures it exposed. The court issued notices to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) and the Karnataka government, seeking their responses on the matter. The Supreme Court is also seeking a permanent solution to the increasing man-animal conflict.
The court has also flagged the severe understaffing of forest ground personnel in several wildlife sanctuaries and noted that in MM Hills Wildlife Sanctuary, 80% of the posts for foresters and forest watchers were lying vacant. The court has directed the Karnataka government to file an affidavit explaining the persisting staff vacancy. Furthermore, the court was informed that around 80 tigers have died in Karnataka in the last five years, some due to unnatural causes, including poisoning.
The Central Empowered Committee (CEC), assisting the court on wildlife and environmental issues, submitted a report stating that this is the highest number of tiger deaths reported in a single incident. The CEC's report also highlighted the dire shortage of forest ground staff in MM Hills, and also flagged systemic salary delays and outsourcing of forest jobs to contractors, leading to demoralized ground personnel. The CEC has recommended a system for the timely release of compensation for human deaths and livestock loss to reduce retaliatory actions by villagers.
In response to the tiger deaths, the Karnataka government has taken some initial steps. The state government has ordered a probe into the incident. Additionally, three forest officials, including a Deputy Conservator of Forests, an Assistant Conservator of Forests, and a Range Forest Officer, have been sent on compulsory leave. The state forest minister has also warned of strict disciplinary action if negligence is found on the part of forest staff.
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has also ordered a probe into the incident and has constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) for the purpose. The SIT is mandated to submit a report within two weeks.
The incident has raised concerns about the effectiveness of wildlife protection measures and the challenges of conserving forests in areas with significant human and livestock activity. Conservation activists are calling for better protection mechanisms in forest fringes and greater community engagement to reduce conflict and retaliatory killing.
