Bhopal:Madhya Pradesh which is home to the highest population of tigers, but, it is struggling to live up to its moniker "Tiger State of India" as the death of the big cats continue to rise in the state. Wildlife enthusiasts have been blaming the dip in tiger population to the man-animal conflicts and its associated events.
According to the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), Madhya Pradesh has lost 270 tigers in a decade while 34 died last year and nine deaths reported in the first 45 days of the year. The 2022 data suggests Madhya Pradesh as being home to 526 tigers, while its nearest competitor Karnataka having 524 tigers. The latter would be conferred the title if the official Tiger Census records more tigers in Karnataka. Karnataka lost 15 tigers in the year 2022.
Speaking to ETV Bharat, animal rights activist Ajay Dubey said tigers are getting trapped in the electric fencing in the farm lands adjoining the forests. The Forest department is not able to control them. 270 tigers were reported dead in the last 10 years, while nine tigers died in the last 45 days.
Madhya Pradesh has the highest number of big cats in the country. We need to take some strict measures to save the tigers, the enthusiast added. His views echoed by an Indian Forest Service Officer who blamed the encroachments in the Forest land as one of the reasons for tiger deaths.