Nagpur: In the year marking the 50th anniversary of Project Tiger, India celebrated the milestone while also grappling with the distressing loss of 202 tigers.
According to the All-India Tiger Estimation (AITE)-2022, the country proudly announced a count of 3,682 big cats in the wild. However, this joy was shadowed by the grim reality of escalating tiger deaths, with Maharashtra bearing a substantial burden.
Reports from Wildlife Protection Society of India (WPSI) said that the maximum number of tiger deaths in 2023 were reported in Maharashtra where the toll crossed the half-century mark (52) for the first time. Almost 50% of tiger deaths in Maharashtra were reported in Chandrapur and Gadchiroli districts.
The figures have been compiled by Wildlife Protection Society of India (WPSI), a wildlife conservation organization monitoring tiger and leopard deaths in the country, for the period January 1 to December 24, 2023. Maharashtra accounted for a significant portion of the country’s tiger deaths, reflecting a disturbing trend.
The figures, compiled by WPSI for the period of January 1 to December 24, 2023, point to a disturbing escalation. The National Tiger Conservation Authority’s (NTCA) official tiger death graph depicts a concerning upward trajectory since 2012. In 2023, the NTCA reported 168 tiger deaths, the highest in over a decade, with a noticeable surge in Maharashtra alone. However, the actual figures might be higher, given the lack of recent updates and the unaccounted deaths in December, not reflected on NTCA’s official records.
Maharashtra’s ascendancy to the top of tiger mortality rates, surpassing even neighboring Madhya Pradesh, underscores the severity of the situation. The reasons behind the deaths, including natural causes and poaching, highlight a multifaceted challenge in tiger conservation efforts.
Moreover, the distressing increase in leopard deaths, as highlighted by WPSI, amplifies concerns about overall wildlife conservation. The surge in both mortality and poaching cases among leopards between 2022 and 2023 accentuates the broader challenges faced in safeguarding India’s diverse wildlife.
A senior tiger expert, speaking anonymously, emphasized the gravity of the situation, raising concerns about unreported tiger deaths and the need for a comprehensive strategy. The recent dispersal of tigers to Odisha from Chandrapur underscored the urgent requirement for expanding habitats and refining monitoring systems to track dispersing or missing tigers.
The coexistence of phenomenal tiger population growth and escalating tiger mortality rates draws attention to the critical need for more extensive conservation efforts, habitat expansion, and a robust monitoring system to safeguard India’s rich wildlife heritage.
(WPSI source):
Maharashtra —————52
Madhya Pradesh ———-47
Uttarakhand—————-26
Tamil Nadu—————-15
Kerala———————-14
MAHA TIGER DEATHS
Year ———————- Tigers
2017 ———————-22
2018 ———————-20
2019 ———————-22
2020 ———————-20
2021 ———————-35
2022 ———————-30
2023 ———————-52
