100+ tigers at Kanha underbio-watch after virus kills 6

Bhopal: More than 100 tigers in Kanha National Park have been placed under close surveillance by Madhya Pradesh wildlife headquarters following yet another suspected Canine Distemper Virus (CDV)-linked tiger death, even as an expert team of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) from Bengaluru has called for a scientific sero-prevalence study of stray dogs and cats around Kanha to map viral circulation and shape long-term disease prevention strategies.The NTCA team has simultaneously recommended closer monitoring of stray dog movement near tiger habitats, continued testing of water sources and carnivore samples, stricter regulation of food waste around tourism facilities, and priority vaccination of dogs in villages surrounding the reserve, with concerns that infected canines may be the most likely pathway for the virus to enter Kanha’s tiger landscape.Chief Wildlife Warden Samita Rajora has constituted a special monitoring team with instructions to maintain an “over-cautious” watch on tiger behaviour. Field staff have been directed to immediately report even subtle warning signs, including limping, weakness, disorientation, abnormal movement, unusual aggression, loss of coordination and changes in feeding behaviour.As part of an expanded containment strategy, authorities have decided to tranquilise nearly 10% of tigers within the identified containment zone for scientific sampling, say officials adding that biological samples are expected to be collected from around 10 tigers to determine whether the virus may have silently spread among free-ranging carnivores.

The reserve has shifted into emergency precaution mode. A tourism route has been temporarily shut, intensified surveillance activated, and nearly 2,500 stray and domestic dogs in villages around Kanha brought under a vaccination programme, while frontline forest teams have been directed to immediately report even minor behavioural abnormalities in tigers.The alert follows the CDV-linked deaths of tigress T-141 and her four cubs in Kanha’s Sarhi range.

Laboratory testing conducted by the School of Wildlife Forensic and Health (SWFH), Jabalpur confirmed the presence of Canine Distemper Virus through RT-PCR analysis, leading authorities to conclude that all five deaths were linked to CDV infection.Following the incident, an NTCA inspection team led by Inspector General of Forests Shivakumar C M visited Kanha to assess the scale of risk and evaluate disease containment measures on the ground.Officials say CDV is a highly contagious viral disease commonly carried by domestic and stray dogs. It can spread to wild carnivores, attacking the respiratory and nervous systems and often causing severe neurological complications. In landscapes like Kanha, where forest boundaries overlap with villages and free-ranging dogs frequently move near wildlife habitat, disease spillover poses a major conservation risk.In boxLimping Cub Under Round-the-Clock WatchA fresh concern has now emerged around a tigress moving with three cubs, one of which has recently been found limping, prompting authorities to place the family under 24-hour surveillance. While officials have not directly linked the symptom to CDV, no possibility is being ruled out in view of the recent mortality cluster. Patrol teams, veterinarians and frontline staff have been placed on standby, while elephant squads and camera traps continue tracking the family’s movement and physical condition.

The NTCA inspection report noted that 40 strategically placed camera traps are operational across the affected landscape, supplemented by daily foot patrols, elephant-based monitoring and night surveillance to detect unusual carnivore behaviour at the earliest stage.In boxNTCA Field Inspection: What Investigators FoundThe NTCA team physically inspected Amahi Nala, Itaware Nala and the Umarpani water source, all linked to tiger deaths in Sarhi range.

Inspectors found that carcass sites had been secured using chain-link fencing, nearby water bodies disinfected with lime, and biological remains scientifically destroyed under strict bio-safety protocols to prevent secondary infection and scavenger exposure.Camera trap grids and surveillance systems were found to be functioning effectively. Importantly, inspectors reported no signs of CDV-like symptoms so far in other carnivores, including leopards, civets, hyenas, jackals and wild dogs, although continued vigilance was strongly advised because of the contagious nature of the virus.The NTCA report has outlined a multi-layer disease-control plan aimed at preventing another spillover event, say sources. Its most important recommendation is a structured sero-prevalence study of stray dogs and cats in villages surrounding Kanha, to scientifically assess how widely CDV may be circulating in domestic animal populations and identify hidden infection hotspots before they spread into wildlife habitat.

The study has been proposed in collaboration with local veterinary colleges and the state animal husbandry department.In boxNTCA Praises MP Forest Department ResponseNTCA inspection team observed that Kanha Tiger Reserve management acted swiftly after the first warning signs emerged. The response began after a tourist video recorded on April 18 showed a visibly weak tiger cub, and immediate mobilisation of field teams.

Up to 50 personnel, including elephant squads, veterinarians and forest staff, were deployed across Sarhi, Kisli and Kanha ranges. Camera traps were installed, intensive searches launched, and supplementary food placed near water sources to support the tigress and cubs during monitoring efforts.

The NTCA also praised the reserve’s rescue operations, veterinary intervention, forensic testing, quarantine procedures and site decontamination measures, noting that all actions were carried out according to prescribed wildlife disease-management protocols.

Tigress T-141 and her surviving cub were rescued alive on April 26 and shifted to the Mukki Quarantine and Treatment Centre, though both later succumbed despite intensive treatment.In boxNTCA recommended:Priority vaccination of stray and domestic dogs, beginning with villages where dog movement overlaps tiger habitat. Officials estimate nearly 2,500 dogs in the surrounding landscape.Population control of stray dogs where vaccination alone may prove insufficient.Stricter regulation of food waste from resorts, hotels and homestays, warning that feeding stray dogs near forests may unintentionally increase disease risks for wildlife.Continued testing of water bodies and carnivore faecal samples to monitor possible environmental spread of infection.Awareness campaigns in forest fringe villages to discourage movement of unvaccinated dogs into forest areas.