Tiger cubs hit by train in Madhya Pradesh, agitated tigress refuses to budge, hinders rescue ops

Madhya Pradesh: Three tiger cubs were tragically struck by a train while crossing the railway tracks in Budhni in the Sehore district of Madhya Pradesh, resulting in one cub's death and leaving the other two critically injured. The incident occurred as the cubs, likely following their mother tigress, attempted to cross the railway tracks in Budhni.

The male cub, aged approximately nine months, succumbed to its injuries near the tracks, while two female cubs were found stranded in a drain adjacent to the rail line.

According to officials, the incident occurred on tracks in a territorial forest area within the Sehore division. Efforts by the forest department to rescue the injured cubs were hindered by the protective behaviour of the mother tigress, as she did not move away from her seriously injured cubs and kept on licking their wounds. The tigress was also agitated and roared repeatedly, preventing the rescue team from providing immediate treatment to the injured cubs.

The forest team was making continuous efforts to rescue the two injured cubs so that necessary treatment could be provided to save their lives.

Divisional Forest Officer M S Dawar confirmed that the deceased cub, aged around eight months, was recovered from the tracks and sent for postmortem examination. Rescue operations proved challenging due to the tigress' proximity and her protective stance, which delayed immediate medical attention to the injured cubs.

Efforts are ongoing to safely rescue the injured cubs and provide them with the necessary medical care to ensure their recovery.

(With inputs from agencies)