Chhattisgarh’s Indravati National Park is facing a severe conservation crisis following the alleged poaching of at least five tigers, raising fears that the protected area could soon lose its remaining tiger population.

According to forest department officials, three tiger skins have been recovered so far, while efforts are continuing to trace two more. Investigators believe all five tigers were residents of Indravati National Park in Bijapur district and were killed by an interstate wildlife trafficking network.

The investigation has so far led to the arrest of seven suspected wildlife traffickers. Authorities suspect that some forest personnel may have colluded with the poachers by providing real-time information on tiger movements, reportedly obtained from camera traps installed for the ongoing tiger estimation exercise. Officials said the probe is continuing to uncover the full extent of the trafficking network.

In connection with the incident, three forest officials—a range officer, a deputy ranger, and a forest guard—have been suspended for alleged dereliction of duty pending the outcome of the investigation.

Indravati National Park has long been recognised as one of central India’s important tiger habitats, although monitoring efforts have been affected for years by Left Wing Extremist activity. With only a handful of tigers believed to remain, the recent poaching incidents have intensified concerns about the future of the park’s tiger population and highlighted the urgent need for stronger anti-poaching measures, intelligence-based enforcement, and greater accountability within the protection system.

The case represents one of the most serious wildlife crime incidents reported from Chhattisgarh in recent years and underscores the continuing threat posed by organised wildlife trafficking to India’s tiger conservation efforts.

wildlifeindianews #ProjectTiger #poaching #indravatitigerreserve