Seoni, Mar 30 (PTI) A tiger was found dead on a highway in Madhya Pradesh's Seoni district, a forest official on Wednesday said, adding that the feline was suspected to have been hit by a speeding vehicle.

Also Read | Russia-Ukraine War: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky Says Signals From Peace Talks ‘Positive’.

After some photos and a video of the striped animal lying dead on the Nagpur highway near Batvani village went viral on social media on Tuesday night, a forest squad rushed to the spot.

Also Read | PM Narendra Modi to Virtually Attend BIMSTEC Summit 2022 Today.

A large number of people had gathered at the spot after getting to know about the tiger's death, but police and forest officials dispersed them and took the carcass into their possession.

They later shifted the carcass to Pench National Park where an autopsy will be performed by veterinarians, the official said.

Prima facie, it appears the tiger was hit by a speeding vehicle leading to its death, but the exact cause will be known after the autopsy, Seoni forest division's deputy ranger Harvendra Baghel told PTI.

According to the All-India Tiger Estimation Report 2018, Madhya Pradesh was home to 526 tigers, the highest in any state of the country.

The state has a number of tiger reserves, including Kanha, Bandhavgarh, Pench, Satpura and Panna.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)