India loses 51 tigers in five months, Madhya Pradesh tops the list

New Delhi, June 07: India has lost 51 tigers within eight months, due to territorial fight, poaching or electrocution in the first five months, till May 29, 2019. That means on an average, the country has lost 10 tigers a month. This is half of the total 102 big cats that were killed in 2018.

Madhya Pradesh has remained at the top of the list with about 18 tiger deaths followed by Maharashtra with the deaths of 8 tigers in the first five months of the year 2019.

In 80 per cent mortality, the cause of the deaths couldn't be identified. However, NTCA officials are still investigating the cases.

Last year too, Madhya Pradesh held the dubious distinction of reporting highest number of tigers' deaths with Maharashtra ranking second.

What's interesting is big cat mortality was reported more in protected areas than in territorial forest divisions.

Not all the tiger deaths have come into the limelight but the deaths of 10 tigers every month is something that brings an alarm.

India is currently home to 70 per cent of the worlds tiger population in over 17 states and 50 sanctuaries across the country.

India is a part of the St Petersburg target, commonly referred to as the global wildlife conservation goal TX2, which aims to double the tiger numbers in the participating countries by 2022.

Despite the consistent efforts of the Project Tiger which was started in 1973 in India, there has been a decline in the tiger population with an ever-growing threat of poaching, cannibalism and other reasons.