Maharashtra: 13 tigers dead in first 16 days of 2025, seven in state

The new year has started on a grim note for wild tigers in India with 13 reported deaths in the first 16 days of 2025 Maharashtra recorded the highest number at seven deaths followed by Madhya PradeshAccording to wwwtigernetnicin the official database of the National Tiger Conservation Authority NTCA a state agency under the Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change of the 13 deaths nine occurred outside tiger reserves while four were reported within reservesMadhya Pradesh recorded two deaths while Uttarakhand Karnataka Kerala and Assam each reported one tiger death Investigations into these deaths are ongoing and the exact causes are yet to be determinedWildlife conservationist Kedar Gore from the Corbett Foundation explained that in states like Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh where tiger populations are high some deaths due to natural causes are expected However he pointed out that at least four tiger deaths in Maharashtra were linked to poaching and humanwildlife conflict This needs to be addressed on a priority he saidGore added Hopefully the NTCA and the respective forest departments will focus more on timely addressing the reasons leading to negative humanwildlife interactions Timely release of funds compensating local communities for human property and agricultural losses due to wildlife and ensuring capacity building of frontline staff to improve vigilance against poaching are crucial Most unnatural tiger deaths occur in buffer areas wildlife corridors and forest divisions adjacent to wellprotected tiger reserves These areas need more attention funds and wildlife management strategies Instead of focusing solely on increasing tiger numbers in restricted areas we should prioritise reducing humanwildlife conflicts Fewer negative interactions should become the measure of success in tiger conservationAccording to NTCA data India recorded a total of 127 tiger deaths in 2024 In January 2024 alone 20 tiger deaths were reported across the country Of the 127 deaths reported last year 85 remain under investigation 13 were attributed to natural causes and one was confirmed as a poaching incidentSarosh Lodhi cofounder of the wildlife group Conservation Lenses amp Wildlife CLaW and a conservation photographer expressed concern over the mortality numbersThe mortality numbers are extremely concerning and the high number of unnatural deaths is particularly troubling While authorities are considering introducing birth control measures for tigers the focus should be on reducing the mortality rate and securing corridors to allow tigers to move freely he saidNTCA data on mortalityThe NTCA stated Based on the location of tiger mortality events data from 2012 to September 2024 is grouped into three categories deaths inside tiger reserves deaths outside reserves and seizures of tiger skins or bones Of the 1386 tiger mortality events recorded during this period 50 per cent occurred within tiger reserves 42 per cent outside reserves and 7 per cent were linked to seizures