Exclusive: Tigress MT-1 Poisoned And Gone, Forest Department Says "We Don't Know"

MT-1 wasn't just any tigress. She was one of the monitored big cats in Shivpuri's protected reserve fitted with a satellite radio collar.

Bhopal:

Where is Tigress MT-1 of Shivpuri's Madhav Tiger Reserve? The state forest department says it doesn't know. But an alleged poacher says he does. His name is Saujiram Mongia, and on camera, he has confessed he killed her by poisoning.

In a case that reads like a chilling wildlife crime thriller, NDTV has the recorded confession of Saujiram Mongia, a key accused in what appears to be a major cover-up in the heart of Madhya Pradesh's forests. The State Tiger Strike Force (STSF), in a massive operation, arrested an interstate poaching gang. And one name stood out: Saujiram Mongia the man who says he ended MT-1's life.

MT-1 wasn't just any tigress. She was one of the monitored big cats in Shivpuri's protected reserve fitted with a satellite radio collar, tracked, protected - at least, that's what the public was told. But today, she is untraceable. Vanished. And the department responsible for protecting her says it has no clue.

Saujiram's statement came after STSF arrested another accused, Dauji Bhil. During interrogation, Dauji named his samdhi Saujiram as the one who poisoned the tigress. The STF tracked Saujiram down and arrested him from Patel Chowk in Shivpuri. On the way to court, he didn't hesitate "Yes, I killed her," he said, looking straight into the camera.

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