Even as we tom-tom having 70% of the world’s wild tiger population, shocking data reveals grim mortality rate

In April last year, India made news for being home to nearly 2,226 wild tigers -- 70 per cent of the global population -- making it a shining example in wildlife conservation. But, hidden within these glorious numbers is a morbid tale of death that could throw cold water on the government's tall claims. As per data compiled by the Wildlife Protection Society of India (WPSI) -- a non-profit working towards animal conservation -- the country lost one tiger every week and a leopard daily, between January 2008 and July 2017.

In 2016, the World Wildlife Fund and the Global Tiger Forum had announced that the world's tiger population had finally increased after several decades of constant decline.

The global census figures as revealed by WWF, put the tiger count at 3,890, with India being home to a majority of that population. Despite experts raising questions over the WWF's claims, the data lionised the Indian government's efforts in conserving the national animal.

All of these claims appear to have come to naught with WPSI's data, released this week. The data compiled over a period nine years and seven months (January 2008 to July 2017), revealed that 801 tigers and 3,379 leopards died in the country, during this period. The total number of tiger and leopard deaths stand at 4,180.

The revelation backs data by the National Tiger Conservation Authority, a statutory body under the ministry of environment and forests, which puts the tiger deaths for this year at 62, with Maharashtra witnessing 12 deaths alone.

According to wildlife experts, when compared with WWF, WPSI's wildlife crime database is more comprehensive in India. It has details of over 20,000 wildlife cases and 16,000 alleged wildlife criminals, and the information is constantly updated with inputs from a number of sources, including its network of investigators.

'Check poaching'

According to Tito Joseph, the programme manager of WPSI, before compiling the data, every death was thoroughly investigated. As per WPSI data, of the 801 tigers that died, 299 were lost due to poaching and seizure. "We have found that wildlife poachers are habitual offenders and since the conviction rate is low, they repeat the crime. More stringent laws need to be in place so that people involved in poaching activity think twice before killing a wild animal," he said.

Wildlife conservationist Bittu Sahgal from Sanctuary Nature Foundation said, "Tiger numbers are undoubtedly up in the best protected areas such as Corbett, Ranthambhore, Nagarhole, Tadoba, Pench and Bandhavgarh, but when young tigers leave their mothers protective care at around two years, to fend for themselves, they are being picked off like flies. There is a revolving door between the operatives involved in the illegal trades in arms, narcotics, wildlife and human trafficking. These trades finance terrorists, insurrectionists and the underworld. On Global Tiger Day India should worry about the impact on our internal security of leaving our natural treasury open to plunder by anti-national elements."

However, wildlife Conservationist Kedar Gore, director of the Corbett Foundation said that not every death should be linked with poaching. "Tigers die due to multiple reasons – territorial fights, killing of cubs by adult tigers and other predators, and old age."

With deaths due to road accidents also being common, both Joseph and Gore are of the view that developmental projects coming up in and near their natural habitats must be planned and executed keeping conservationists and scientists in the loop. "No project should be implemented at the cost of crucial tiger habitat," said Gore.