Poaching accounted for around 22% of Tiger deaths in the last 8 years
Sai Krishna Muthyanolla
August 31, 2019
Poaching is one of the
major causes of Tiger deaths in the country. Between 2012 & August 2019,
142 tigers have lost their lives due to poaching.
In the previous story on quadrennial tiger census, the total tiger population in India, their region wise distribution based on landscape and ecological significance were discussed.
The human population is multiplying rapidly which requires more space for development and on the other hand, the tiger population has also increased which calls for protection of their habitat in order to sustain it. Many cases of conflicts between the two species have been reported off late thereby putting the conservationists in a quandary since both their needs need to be addressed. In this story, we focus on the human carnivore interaction which ultimately threatens their survival.
Despite the ferocious and fearlessreputation of tigers among human beings, reckless poaching of tigers for theirskin, claws, bones and canine is prevalent around the globe. The tigermortality numbers as of 15 August 2019 from the data provided by the National Tiger Conservation Authority  indicates that between 2012 and2018, 9253 people have beenarrested in India for wildlife poaching cases. In the last three years alone 2351 people were arrestedfor the same according to the government’s response in the Lok Sabha.
Of the total 655 tiger deaths since 2012, 21.6% have been due to
poaching
A total of 655 tigers have died between 2012 and August 2019. Of these, 323 (49%) have died a natural death. The second biggest cause of tiger deaths is poaching. A total of 142 tigers have died due to poaching during this period.  In other words, poaching accounts for 21.6% of the total tiger mortality in India. During the same period, 87 tiger bodies have also been seized.  Additional 35 deaths have been reported as unnatural which includes those unnatural cases which cannot be attributed to poaching.  For instance, tigers which have died in conflicts and accidents have been included in this category. A total of 68 cases since 2016 are under scrutiny and hence the reasons for their death have not been ascertained.
A look at the annual numbers of tigermortality shows that the numbers increased from 2013 to 2016. The years 2017and 2018 show a decline in the number of deaths. On an average, 20 tigers arepoached every year. Taking into consideration the cases of poaching andseizures, there were 44 such cases in 2016 (another 8 cases are still underscrutiny), the highest during this period. The number of cases had come downfrom 39 in 2012 to 23 in 2015. In 2017 and 2018, 39 and 26 cases respectivelyhave been confirmed while 60 are still under scrutiny.
Madhya Pradesh witnessed the largest number of cases of poaching and
seizures in the country
A state wise analysis of the numbers revealedthat Madhya Pradesh had the largest number of cases of tiger deaths- 142 duringthe period 2012 to August 2019. Madhya Pradesh has recorded the maximum numberof cases of poaching (31) and seizures (12) as well. Maharashtra witnessed 107tiger deaths during this period. As far as cases of poaching are concerned, afterMadhya Pradesh, Karnataka recorded 24 cases while Maharashtra accounted for 21cases.
If the numbers are scrutinized on the basisof the tiger landscape, the largest number of tiger deaths has taken place inthe Central Indian landscape and the Eastern Ghats (288) which holds thelargest percentage of tiger population of India. A total of 52 cases ofpoaching and 35 cases of seizure have been recorded in this region. In theWestern Ghats, 180 cases of tiger mortality have been recorded of which 39 aredue to poaching and 17 are seizures. 123 tiger deaths have been witnessed inthe Shivalik hills and Gangetic plains landscape including 25 poaching and 19 casesof seizure.
The survival of tigers is threatened by a wide plethora of human
activities
The practice of slaughtering tigers in thepast during the colonial period when it was considered a royal sport and amatter of pride is one major reason behind the steep decline in tigerpopulation from many thousands to a few thousands. Sprawling over the highlydiverse landscape of the country, the tigers are mostly solitary and require alarge territory. Thus, expansion of railway lines and roads through forests/tiger reserves has put the tigers in a vulnerable position. The government hasdisclosed in the Rajya Sabha that 10 tigers were killed in rail and road accidents between 2015 and 2017.
Fragmentation of habitats coupled withdeforestation, forest land encroachment and other activities which have led tothe deterioration of tiger habitats has further exacerbated the plight oftigers. Even decimation of the prey population affects the carnivore. The everincreasing human population combined with the aforementioned human activitieshave coerced the tigers to take to human settlements paving the way toconflicts. Loss of human life, predation on livestock and fear instilled amongthe people result in people resorting to retaliatory killing in spite of thecultural significance attached to tigers.
Between 2016 and 2018, 135 human beings have lost their lives due to
tiger attacks
While all this time, the discussion hasbeen focussed on tiger population, humans have also lost their lives in tigerattacks.
Data from the last three (2016-18) yearsindicates that a total of 135 people have lost their livesto tiger attacks. This number has decreased over the years- from 62 in 2016 to29 in 2018. West Bengal registered the largest loss of human lives – 41 livesduring this three year period. In Uttar Pradesh, 39 people lost their lives intiger attacks. Other states where tigers have claimed lives includeMaharashtra, Assam, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Karnatakaand Rajasthan. Compensation in the form of money is provided to the families ofthe deceased.
Many families still
reside inside the core area of the Critical Tiger habitat (CTH)
Presently,  there are 50 tiger reserves in India and atotal of 14,441 families have beenrelocated from the core areas of these reserves since the inception of ProjectTiger. Out of the 14,441 families relocated, 5,962 were in Madhya Pradesh and 5,053in Maharashtra. As per government data, more than 40,000 families still resideinside in the core area of the critical tiger habitat.
The amendment made in 2006 to the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972  led to the establishment of the National Tiger Conservation Authority. The body has been vested with the power to address conflicts, relocation of villagers, lay down normative standards and guidelines for tiger conservation in India, especially the tiger reserves, national parks and sanctuaries- and also facilitate states’ conservation efforts. Wildlife Crime Control Bureau also came into effect in 2007 to curb wildlife trafficking and related crimes. The central government also disburses funds to states that are involved in tiger conservation through Project Tiger. A holistic approach which encompasses both the needs of the people and ecological sustainability can reduce the mortalities on both sides and increase the tiger population.
Featured Image: Tiger deaths in India