Quarantine dogs in the vicinity of Kanha national park: HC

Bhopal: A division bench of the Madhya Pradesh high court has directed the Centre and the state govt to take preventive and curative measures to stop tiger deaths at Kanha National Park, and said dogs in areas adjoining the park should be quarantined to prevent the spread of canine distemper virus among big cats.The bench also sought a status report on the situation and compliance with its directions on the next date of hearing on July 9, 2026.The order came on a public interest litigation filed by Mumbai-based lawyer Subrat Chakravorty, who said tiger deaths were being reported frequently from Kanha National Park. He told the court that in April, a tiger couple and four of their semi-adult cubs died at the reserve, and another tiger died on May 19, 2026.The PIL said the deaths were suspected to have been caused by canine distemper virus. It also stated that two more tigers died during the same period in Balaghat and Kisli areas, and sought court intervention to stop repeated deaths in the Kanha tiger reserve.Following Tuesday’s hearing, the bench of Justice Anand Pathak and Justice B P Sharma issued directions to the Centre and the state government and asked for a report on the situation in the tiger reserve.