628 Tigers Died in India | 29 Jul 2024

Why in News?

According to government data, a total of 628 tigers died in India during the past five years due to natural causes and other reasons, including poaching.

Key Points

• According to the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), 96 tigers died in 2019, 106 in 2020, 127 in 2021, 121 in 2022, and 178 in 2023.
  • 349 people were killed in tiger attacks during this period, with Maharashtra alone recording 200 deaths.
  • Uttar Pradesh recorded 59 human deaths in tiger attacks while Madhya Pradesh reported 27.
• India launched Project Tiger on April 1, 1973, to promote tiger conservation. 
  • Currently, India has 55 tiger reserves covering more than 78,735 square km, nearly 2.4% of the country’s geographical area, of tiger habitat.