Mumbai, India — Maharashtra, renowned for its significant rise in tiger population over the past 15 years, from roughly 150 to 444, is now confronting a sharp, grim reality with the sudden deaths of eight tigers between January 2 and January 19. The cluster of deaths, which has shocked the conservation community, stems from various causes including possible poaching and a tragic accident involving a train.
The initial case reported on January 2 involved a male tiger found in the Chandrapur Bramhapuri Sindewahi forest, declared by the forest department to have died from natural causes attributed to old age. However, merely days later, a more suspicious death occurred in the Tumsar forest area of Bhandara district where a tiger’s body was discovered in four pieces. Further investigation tied this death to villagers retaliating after the tiger attacked livestock, leading to the arrest of three individuals.
Adding to the concerns were the findings in Yavatmal district’s Pandharkawada forest range where a tiger was discovered with missing canines and claws, suggestive of poaching. Natural causes were reported for another young tiger found in the Deolapar forest range of the Pench Tiger Reserve, while a tigress’s body found intact at the Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve hinted at a possible infighting death.
A suspicious death of an adult male tiger followed on January 14 in the Kohka Bhanpur area of the Gondia forest range, and the decayed remains of a cub were located in the same region, with the cause of death still to be determined. The series of unfortunate events seemed to culminate on January 19 when a tiger succumbed to injuries after being hit by a train on the Balharshah-Gondia route.
Kishor Rithe, the director of the Bombay Natural History Society, highlighted the significance of understanding the root cause behind each death rather than just the numbers. He raised concerns about the revival of poaching activities and urged immediate and comprehensive investigations by the forest department.
A senior retired forest officer reflected on the implications if known poaching gangs are involved, suggesting a major intelligence failure since many of these groups have been under surveillance for years. Rithe also noted an uptick in poaching incidents around the year-end and beginning, likely due to increased tourism during this period which stretches forest management resources thin.
Maharashtra ranks fourth in India in terms of tiger numbers, with its six reserves covering 9,113 sq km. Kedar Gore, director of the Corbett Foundation, stressed the chronic issue of retaliatory killings that arise when tigers predate on livestock. Despite available guidelines by the National Tiger Conservation Authority for compensation to affected farmers, bureaucratic delays exacerbate the situation, escalating human-tiger conflicts.
Efficient government response and making the compensation process swift and transparent is crucial, according to Gore. Additionally, the challenge of tigers moving across territories, often leading to conflicts with humans and other tigers, calls for improved management and sensitization about tiger behavior around forest areas. Meanwhile, Forest Minister Ganesh Naik confirmed ongoing investigations into each death and mentioned involving external experts to bring clarity and possibly prevent future deaths.
This series of events casts a dark shadow over Maharashtra’s conservation success, prompting renewed focus on safeguarding the habitats and well-being of these majestic animals amidst growing threats.