In a tragic incident, a four-month-old tigress cub was fatally hit by an unidentified vehicle on the Samudrapur-Girad Highway near Dhondgaon during the early hours of Wednesday, January 22, 2025.
The carcass of the tigress cub was transported to the Girad Forest Inspection Hut, where a post-mortem was conducted in compliance with the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) outlined by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA). The remains were then cremated with due protocols.
Senior officials and wildlife experts were present during the procedures, including Deputy Conservator of Forests Harveer Singh, Assistant Conservator of Forests (Tendu and Wildlife) Amarjit Pawar, NTCA representative Bandu Dhotre, and veterinary officers Dr. Arun Turale, Dr. Yogesh Raghorte, Dr. Kalyani Lothe, and Dr. Jyoti Chavan. Also in attendance were honorary wildlife warden Kaushal Mishra, Sanjay Ingle Tigavkar, PFA representative Kaustubh Gawande, Forest Range Officer Rupesh Khedkar, Assistant Forest Officer Raju Dhanvij, Prabhakar Nehare, and forest guards Pandurang Bele, Sameer Wagh, and Lomesh Gohane.
The incident highlights the need for increased measures to protect wildlife along highway corridors that intersect forest areas.