13 deer found dead in a well in Madhya Pradesh, area cordoned off, inquiry underway

3 min readBhopalJul 8, 2026 05:40 AM IST

The decomposed carcasses were discovered on Sunday after members of a farmer’s family noticed a strong foul smell while visiting their field to spray pesticides. (Source: Freepik)

Thirteen deer, four males and nine females, were found dead inside an agricultural well in Khardounkala village of Kalapipal tehsil in Madhya Pradesh’s Shajapur district, in what forest officials believe was an accident that took place when the animals attempted to escape a stray dog. The dog was also found dead in the well.

The decomposed carcasses were discovered on Sunday after members of a farmer’s family noticed a strong foul smell while visiting their field to spray pesticides. Looking into the well, they found the bodies of the deer and immediately informed village authorities, who alerted the Forest Department and police.

“Preliminary findings suggest the incident occurred one or two days before the discovery. We suspect the herd was running at high speed when it reached the open well. A damaged section of the protective parapet around the well may have allowed the animals to plunge inside. The stray dog chasing the herd is also believed to have fallen into the well,” said a wildlife official.

Inquiry underway

Officials said the exact sequence of events will be confirmed only after the investigation and postmortem reports are completed. Forest officials cordoned off the area during the investigation and said a detailed inquiry is underway to determine whether negligence contributed to the incident. Villagers, however, alleged that officials initially tried to keep the matter from becoming public.

As deer are protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, authorities said the carcasses could only be removed after mandatory legal formalities in the presence of a senior officer. Since the Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO) was away on official duty in Ratlam on Sunday, the retrieval operation was carried out on Monday in the presence of the Naib Tehsildar. Following the postmortem examination, all 14 carcasses were cremated near the site as per protocol.

The Kalapipal-Shujalpur belt has one of the highest deer populations in the region, with herds frequently straying into farmlands in search of food. The increasing population has also intensified crop damage, prompting the Forest Department to relocate nearly 800 deer to other sanctuaries through the Boma capture method around two months ago.

Anand Mohan J is an award-winning Senior Correspondent for The Indian Express, currently leading the bureau’s coverage of Madhya Pradesh. With a career spanning over eight years, he has established himself as a trusted voice at the intersection of law, internal security, and public policy.

Based in Bhopal, Anand is widely recognized for his authoritative reporting on Maoist insurgency in Central India. In late 2025, he provided exclusive, ground-level coverage of the historic surrender of the final Maoist cadres in Madhya Pradesh, detailing the backchannel negotiations and the "vacuum of command" that led to the state being declared Maoist-free.

Expertise and Reporting Beats

Anand’s investigative work is characterized by a "Journalism of Courage" approach, holding institutions accountable through deep-dive analysis of several key sectors:

National Security & Counter-Insurgency: He is a primary chronicler of the decline of Naxalism in the Central Indian corridor, documenting the tactical shifts of security forces and the rehabilitation of surrendered cadres.

Judiciary & Legal Accountability: Drawing on over four years of experience covering Delhi’s trial courts and the Madhya Pradesh High Court, Anand deconstructs complex legal rulings. He has exposed critical institutional lapses, including custodial safety violations and the misuse of the National Security Act (NSA).

Wildlife Conservation (Project Cheetah): Anand is a leading reporter on Project Cheetah at Kuno National Park. He has provided extensive coverage of the biological and administrative hurdles of rewilding Namibian and South African cheetahs, as well as high-profile cases of wildlife trafficking.

Public Health & Social Safety: His recent investigative work has uncovered systemic negligence in public services, such as contaminated blood transfusions causing HIV infections in thalassemia patients and the human cost of the fertilizer crisis affecting rural farmers.

Professional Background

Tenure: Joined The Indian Express in 2017.

Locations: Transitioned from the high-pressure Delhi City beat (covering courts, police, and labor issues) to his current role as a regional lead in Madhya Pradesh.

Notable Investigations: * Exposed the "digital arrest" scams targeting entrepreneurs.

Investigated the Bandhavgarh elephant deaths and the impact of kodo millet fungus on local wildlife.

Documented the transition of power and welfare schemes (like Ladli Behna) in Madhya Pradesh governance.

Digital & Professional Presence

Author Profile: Anand Mohan J at Indian Express

Twitter handle: @mohanreports ... Read More

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