It seems the year 2021 hasn’t dawned well for tigers in India. Independent data compiled by the group Conservation Lenses and Wildlife (CLaW), shows that a total of 39 tiger deaths have taken place in the first 82 days of the year. Maharashtra tops this with 15 deaths followed by Madhya Pradesh with 9 and Uttarakhand 5. Maharashtra also accounts for 41% of total tiger mortality in India raising serious concerns.

ClaW, an independent forum of wildlife enthusiasts from Maharashtra, has been documenting the tiger deaths taking place in India. However, according to www.tigernet.nic. a website which is the official database of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), there have been 22 tiger deaths in the country (data available on the website is till February 14).