After dropping to 95 in 2019, the number of tiger deaths breached 100-figure mark again in 2020. At least 60 per cent of these deaths have taken place in the protected zones for big cats in the country, as per the data from the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA).
The tiger mortality, which stood at 101, 110 and 121 in the three consecutive years before 2019, is now 105 deaths. Analysis of the data shows that last year every month more than 5 tigers were killed except in March when the number was at 4.
The reason for the mortality varies from natural deaths, human-animal conflict, including electrocution, and poaching. Developmental pressure has been already taking its toll on their habitats.
India is home to about 70 per cent of the global tiger population. Today, India has 50 reserves having 2,967 tigers.
Of the 105 deaths in 2020, one has been categorised as seizure and another poaching. As per the NTCA, the country’s nodal body working on welfare and protection of tigers, in seizures, a big cat is presumed dead on the basis of the body parts seized by authorities.
In 103 cases, the exact cause of the deaths is yet to be verified and investigation details are awaited.
Madhya Pradesh topped the list of mortalities with 26 tigers followed by Maharashtra 17. Kerala reported 10 deaths, closely trailed by Karnataka with 9 mortalities. It is the sixth year in a row that Madhya Pradesh has topped the list of States with the highest number of tiger deaths in the country.
Month-wise, April proved to be lethal for the tigers when the highest number of mortalities was reported with the country losing 15 tigers during the period.
At least 60 per cent tigers died inside the tiger reserves, suggesting territorial infighting among the predators for space. Though the data available from the NTCA does not specify the cause of death in 103 cases, experts feel that it may be due to poisoning and electrocution due to man-animal conflicts.
Forty per cent of the total mortalities were reported from outside the tiger habitats, which the wildlife experts have termed as a cause of worry. They said that this indicates that either the big cats were in search of food or were forced to move out in the fringes of the reserves due to the loss of their territories to the younger ones. This leaves them vulnerable, the experts said.
The total cases of tiger deaths in four years (2015-2018) are 418 which means on an average eight tigers died every month for the past four years.