From habitat loss to accidents, tigers face uncertain future

An adult tiger from Pilibhit Tiger Reserve in Uttar Pradesh brutally beaten to death by villagers on July 24; 12 tigers dying due to electrocution in last 2.5 years and 5 tigers being poisoned to death in last six months in Maharashtra alone. These are just indicators about the threats tigers face and also raises doubts whether conservation is heading in right direction.
Even if figures released by Wildlife Protection Society of India (WPSI), a NGO working for wildlife law enforcement, are considered, there is spurt in tiger body parts seizures indicating rise in poaching. In 2018, of the 104 tiger deaths recorded in India, 43 were unnatural including 34 due to poaching, 4 shot dead or killed by villagers and 3 dying in accidents.
“Till July 25 this year, 76 tiger deaths have been recorded, more than 70% of the total deaths in 2018. These include 31 due to poaching,” says Tito Joseph, programme coordinator of WPSI.
The figures indicate that the highest-tiger-holding status with India is itself a challenge for tiger conservation. The county’s tiger habitats are under critical conditions facing tremendous anthropogenic as well as development pressure as a result of which tigers are killed in human attacks, poaching, human-centric acts and linear projects.
“Tigers could not even adopt natural behaviour for survival or avoid internal specie competition due to loss of large natural forest cover. Even fragmented forest patches are hardly available for their survival. This is the biggest challenge India faces to manage tiger populations,” says Prafulla Bhamburkar, coordinator of Maharashtra, Wildlife Trust of India (WTI).
This year, Maharashtra lost 15 tigers, of which 6 deaths were due to poisoning (3 in Chimur) and 3 due to body parts seizure after electrocution in Bhandara district. The state is second to neighbouring Madhya Pradesh which lost 17 tigers in last 7 months.
“Through use of M-Stripe patrolling, speedy payment of cattle kills compensation and eco-development committee (EDC) initiatives are helping to tackle poaching, we have been slack on electrocution deaths. There is no strong mechanism in place which can prevent electrocution deaths,” says state wildlife board member Kishor Rithe.
The well-known conservationist added that laying of snares is rampant for which “community patrolling in 5km peripheral area of every forested village is the only solution”. “But it will remain just a dream,” said Rithe.
Nitin Desai, who is the Central India director of Wildlife Protection Society of India, adds, “The rains have been erratic and scanty leaving the farmers with the only option of protecting whatever crop they have managed to grow from wild animals.” He also warned of organizers poachers striking back.
Despite spurt in tiger deaths, a state working group under PCCF (wildlife) on electrocution met on July 19 after a gap of 7 months.
Shekar Dattatri, wildlife and conservation filmmaker, feels there is a bigger threat from habitat fragmentation due to the incursion of development projects into tiger habitats and encroachment by settlers in prime forests. “This poses a long-term threat, not just to tigers, but to entire ecosystems. Once habitats are destroyed — or significantly degraded — the repercussions to wildlife will be catastrophic,” says the former member of National Board for Wildlife.
Agreeing that conservation is a big challenge, especially when corridors are under threat, Bandu Dhotre said, “People’s intolerance has resulted in tiger deaths due to snaring and electrocution. This, despite various state schemes to uplift lives of stakeholders. In future, Pilibhit-type situations cannot be ruled out in Maharashtra if long-term solutions are not taken.” Dhotre is the honorary wildlife warden of Chandrapur.
TIGER DEATHS 2018
Poaching & Seizure
34
Found dead
32
Shot by police or killed by villagers
4
Killed in road & train accidents
3
Died during rescue/treatment
2
Infighting
23
Fight with other animals
6
TOTAL
104
Tiger Deaths 2019 (up to 25 July 2019)
Poaching & Seizure
31
Found Dead
16
Shot by FD/police or killed by villagers
1
Killed in Road & Train Accidents
1
Died during rescue/treatment
4
Infighting
22
Fight with other animals
1
TOTAL
76
Tigers electrocuted in 2018: 4
Tigers electrocuted in 2019 (up to 25 July 2019): 3