A young tigress met a tragic end in the early hours of Sunday when a speeding goods train struck and killed the five-year-old big cat on the Ballarshah-Virur railway stretch. The incident occurred near Vihirgaon village in the Rajura forest range of Chandrapur district, marking another grim chapter in the ongoing conflict between wildlife and railway infrastructure in the region.
Details of the Tragic Incident
The fatal accident took place around 3am on the Ballarshah-Kazipeth down line. According to RFO Rajura Gajanan Ingle, the collision occurred in Compartment No. 160 near railway pole No. 148, barely 200 meters from an existing wildlife underpass. The tigress, who was without cubs and had recently arrived in the area, was attempting to cross the railway track when the goods train hit her.
Forest department officials discovered the carcass early Sunday morning after receiving notification from railway authorities. A team of senior officers quickly reached the spot, including ACF Mangesh Giradkar, RFO Ingle, PCCF representative Mukesh Bhandakkar, and NTCA representative Bandu Dhotre. The officials completed the necessary inquest procedures before moving the body for post-mortem examination.
Post-Mortem Findings and Alarming Statistics
The autopsy was conducted later that day at the Transit Treatment Centre in Chandrapur by a team of veterinary doctors led by Dr. Ravikant Khobragade. The examination confirmed that the tigress died due to severe injuries and massive haemorrhage resulting from the train collision.
This incident represents the 12th wildlife death in railway accidents within Chandrapur district this year alone. The disturbing tally includes three tigers, one leopard, three sloth bears, four sambar, and one wild boar. These numbers highlight the escalating crisis of wildlife fatalities on railway tracks cutting through forested areas.
Neglected Wildlife Infrastructure
Conservationists point out that the tigress died just 200 metres from an underpass in Compartment No. 160 of the Central Chanda Forest Division. However, dense overgrowth and accumulated debris have rendered this mitigation structure completely unusable for wildlife.
This pattern of neglect mirrors previous wildlife fatalities on the Ballarshah-Chanda Fort-Gondia stretch, where high-speed trains cut through crucial forest corridors while mitigation structures remain poorly maintained. The situation has prompted legal action, with a PIL already filed by Udayan Patil and Swanand Soni seeking corrective measures.
Wildlife activist and former Honorary Wildlife Warden Bandu Dhotre has now written to the Deputy Conservator of Forests demanding immediate inspection, clearance, and restoration of all underpasses and small bridges. Dhotre also reminded authorities about a 2019 Forest Department committee that had recommended a comprehensive mitigation plan, whose implementation status remains uncertain.
The repeated incidents of wildlife deaths on railway tracks underscore the urgent need for better maintenance of existing wildlife crossings and the implementation of long-pending conservation measures to protect India's precious wildlife from such preventable tragedies.
