At least 12 Tigers and Tigresses have died in the last 5 Months

• 07 Jun 2023

Why in News?

According to information received from the media on 5 June 2023, tigers are continuously dying in Uttarakhand amid efforts being made for the conservation of tigers across the country. In the last five months, 12 tigers and tigresses have died here.

Key Points:

• Uttarakhand Forest Department's Chief Wildlife Warden Dr. Samir Sinha said that 12 tigers have died in the state so far this year. Most of the deaths have occurred in the Central Terai region. Most of the deaths occurred due to mutual conflict or an accident. Chief Conservator of Forests, Kumaon has been asked to submit a detailed inquiry report.
• It is known that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had released the tiger census-2022 data in the country in April this year. It shows an increase of 6.7% in the tiger population in the last four years. The number of tigers across the country is reported to be around 3167.
• According to the 2018 census, the number of tigers in Uttarakhand is 442. State-wise figures have not been released yet, but Uttarakhand Forest Department Officials are predicting an increase in the number of tigers in the state on the basis of these figures. On the contrary, the speed at which tigers are dying can also blur the colour of the picture.
• According to the data released by the National Tiger Conservation Authority, a total of 76 tigers have died in the last five months across the country this year. Of these, 12 tigers were killed in Uttarakhand alone. The first tiger death in Uttarakhand this year was reported in Jim Corbett Tiger Reserve in January. In February, three tigers were found dead in Nainital and Ramnagar. Then in March, two tigers were killed in the Chakrata range Haldwani and Ramnagar divisions.
• In April, a tiger was found dead in Corbett's Dhela range. In May, two tigers were killed in the Kalagarh division and Corbett Tiger Reserve, while the death toll of three tigers is yet to be updated on the website. The reasons for the death of tigers are different. In 2022, nine tiger deaths were recorded in 12 months.
• It is worth mentioning that the number of tigers killed in Uttarakhand from 2001 to May 2023 is 181.