Nagpur: In a shocking revelation, data obtained through the Right to Information (RTI) Act has exposed alarming figures on tiger and leopard deaths in Maharashtra, raising serious concerns about the effectiveness of wildlife conservation efforts in the State.
Beyond poaching, the overall mortality rate of big cats in Maharashtra has been staggering. 168 tigers and a shocking 728 leopards have died due to various reasons in the last five years. The year 2023 witnessed the highest tiger deaths– 52 in total, while leopard deaths peaked in 2021 at 167, coinciding with the lockdown when forests were closed to human activity.
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This year alone, in just one month– January 2025 — 11 tiger deaths and 21 leopard deaths have already been recorded, indicating a worrisome trend.
Despite having the fourth-largest tiger population in India — 444 as per the latest estimates — Maharashtra has lost 41 tigers to hunting in just five years, according to official data provided by the Forest Department.
The numbers paint a grim picture:
• 2020: 5 tigers killed
• 2021: 9 tigers poached
• 2022: 7 tigers hunted
• 2023: 15 tigers poached
• 2024: 2 tigers poached
• January 2025: 3 tigers poached
Leopard poaching is equally concerning. In 2020 alone, 29 leopards fell victim to hunters — the highest in the past five years. Between 2020 and January 2025, a total of 55 leopards were killed by poachers, further exposing the vulnerability of Maharashtra’s wildlife.
A closer look at the causes of tiger deaths from January 2024 to January 2025 reveals:
• 21 died of natural causes
• 7 were killed in road accidents
• 5 were poached
• 4 died due to other causes
Maharashtra — The poaching epicentre
The Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) has sounded the alarm twice since 2022, issuing a nationwide red alert following a surge in poaching cases — each time, Maharashtra was at the centre of the crisis.
The latest Rajura-based tiger poaching case, which has escalated into a national investigation, led to the arrest of 11 poachers by a Special Investigation Team (SIT). This, coupled with the grim RTI data, raises tough questions about the efficiency of the State Forest Department’s conservation strategies.
The urgent need for action
Wildlife activists and conservationists are now demanding stronger anti-poaching measures, increased surveillance in tiger reserves, and stricter enforcement of laws against wildlife crime. The numbers speak for themselves — Maharashtra’s majestic big cats are under threat, and without immediate intervention, the state risks losing a critical part of its biodiversity.
The question remains: Will Maharashtra’s authorities act before it’s too late?
