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India records less than 100 tiger deaths for the first time in three years
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- For the first time in the past 3 years, the number of tiger deaths in a year in the country has been less than 100. According to data from the Ministry of Forest Environment and Climate Change (MoEFCC), there were 84 cases of tiger deaths in the country and 11 cases of seizures (in which a tiger is presumed dead on the basis of body parts seized by authorities). Both put together, the number of tiger deaths in 2019 is 95.
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- Data on tiger Deaths in previous years:
(1) 2018, number of tiger deaths recorded was 100 (93 mortalities and seven seizures).
(2) 2017, it was 115 (98 mortalities and 17 seizures),
(3) 2016, it was 122 (101 mortalities and 21 seizures).
- Growing numbers
(1) 2019 tiger census report: placed the number of tigers in India at 2,967, up by a third when compared with the numbers reported in 2014.
- Reasons for reduced Mortalities:
(1) Surveillance, good management of Tiger Reserves and awareness and education programmes on tiger conservation.
(2) Using technology to maintain surveillance on tigers, an added advantage.
- Reasons for Deaths in 2019:
(1) Data on tiger mortality also confirms 22 cases of poaching in the country and one case of tiger poisoning in 2019.
(2) An analysis shows that 16 out of 22 poaching incidents have been reported outside Tiger Reserves.
(3) Deaths due to natural causes: 17
(4) Deaths because of unknown reasons: 56
- State-wise split of Deaths in 2019:
(1) Madhya Pradesh, which has the highest number of tigers in the country (526, as per the last census), recorded the most number of cases (31) of tiger deaths.
(2) Followed by Maharashtra(18 deaths,) Karnataka(12 deaths), Uttarakhand(10 deaths) and Tamil Nadu(seven cases).
(3) Deaths were also recorded from non-tiger bearing States like Gujarat, where a tiger had strayed into the State and
Sources
The Hindu