The recent spike in tiger deaths across the country has sent shockwaves among wildlife enthusiasts. Within just nine days in June, at least seven tigers have lost their lives, with Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh each reporting two deaths, and Uttarakhand, Tamil Nadu, and Madhya Pradesh recording one each.
This marks the highest number of tiger fatalities in the past three years, despite Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s announcement of the fifth cycle of India’s Tiger Census figures on April 9.
Data analysis conducted by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) as of June 9 reveals that this year has been unfavourable for tigers overall. So far, a total of 83 big cats have succumbed nationwide, with Madhya Pradesh reporting the highest casualties at 45. Among the deceased, 30 tigresses and 11 cubs have been recorded.
Taking cognisance of the casualties at Dudhwa Tiger Reserve, UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has directed the Forest Minister, additional chief secretary, forest and other senior forest officials to visit the National Park and carry out a thorough probe, a senior official in UP said.
Just a week ago, The Pioneer reported that the country had witnessed the deaths of 76 tigers in the past five months alone, equating to one tiger dying every other day.
Comparatively, during the same period last year, a total of 64 felines had lost their lives, as indicated by statistics provided by the NTCA under the Union Environment Ministry.
The data for 2023 reveals that a majority of deaths, at least 45, were reported from tiger reserves. The escalating territorial fights among the predators are contributing to the surge in mortalities, with senior officials from the Ministry highlighting the insufficiency of habitat to accommodate the growing tiger population. As a result, tigers are venturing into human habitats, posing risks to both their own lives and those of humans.
In the first nine days of this month alone, five tiger deaths occurred within the predators’ own territories, further highlighting the severity of the situation.
Experts attribute the rise in deaths to territorial conflicts among the tigers themselves. Normally, a tiger demarcates 10-12 square kilometer as its territory, not allowing rivals to enter. When a rival does enter, a fight for dominance ensues, with the stronger tiger retaining the region and the weaker one pushed to the periphery.
Life is far from easy even for those who manage to survive and move to the periphery. They often become victims of poaching or fall prey to human-animal conflicts when they venture outside their territories, as has been evident in recent days.
For instance, in Ranthambore Tiger Reserve, a cub succumbed to the cold and rain after its mother was killed in a territorial fight back in February. Ranthambore reserve is considered the third-most congested habitat in India, following Uttarakhand’s Corbett National Park and Assam’s Kaziranga National Park.