Rising Tiger Toll in India: A Five-Year Report

Over the past five years, 628 tigers have died in India due to various causes, including poaching. During the same period, 349 people lost their lives to tiger attacks. The data highlights a significant increase in tiger fatalities in 2023, the highest since 2012. India continues efforts in tiger conservation through Project Tiger.

India has witnessed the deaths of 628 tigers over the past five years, attributed to natural causes, poaching, and other reasons, according to recent government data. In addition, 349 individuals were killed in tiger attacks during this period, with Maharashtra accounting for 200 of these fatalities.

Data from the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) indicates a troubling rise in tiger mortality, with 96 deaths recorded in 2019, increasing to 178 in 2023, the highest figure since 2012. Union Minister of State for Environment Kirti Vardhan Singh confirmed in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday that tiger attacks resulted in 49 fatalities each in 2019 and 2020, 59 in 2021, 110 in 2022, and 82 in 2023.

India's tiger population stands at 3,682, representing approximately 75 percent of the global wild tiger population. The country launched Project Tiger in 1973 to spearhead conservation efforts, initially encompassing nine reserves covering 18,278 square kilometers. Today, India boasts 55 tiger reserves spanning over 78,735 square kilometers, nearly 2.4 percent of its geographical area, dedicated to tiger habitat.

(With inputs from agencies.)