New Delhi: The Union minister of forest and environment has asked the state governments and Union territories to inquire in to sudden rise in tiger’s death following demise of two tigers Vishakhapatnam’s Indira Gandhi Zoological Park last month.
Two more tigers died within 24 hours at Visakhapatnam’s Indira Gandhi Zoological Park on May 8. At the same time, more than 95 tigers have died in the country in the first six months of this year. The maximum number of deaths have occurred in three states, namely Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Uttarakhand.
Also Read: Tigers’ count goes to 3,167 in India, 200 added in last 4 years
Tigress named Janaki (22) died due to old age in Indira Gandhi Zoological Park. His body parts had stopped working. A couple of days ago, a tigress named Kumari (23) also died late night in ARC (Animal Rescue Center) of Vishakhapatnam zoo. Nandani Salaria, curator of the Zoological Park, told that the age of the tigress had exceeded the average age.
In April this year, on the completion of 50 years of Project Tiger, Prime Minister Narendra Modi released the tiger census figures for 2022. According to this, 200 tigers have increased in the country since 2018, but half of its tigers have died in the first six months of 2023. The total number of tigers in India has gone up to 3,167 in 2022 against 2,967 counted in 2018.
Also Read: Wildlife survey on in Kaimur sanctuary to declare it as tiger reserve
According to the National Tiger Conservation Authority, 95 tiger deaths have been recorded across the country till June 25 this year. Maximum 24 tigers have died in Madhya Pradesh, 19 in Maharashtra and 14 in Uttarakhand. In this matter, the Union forest ministry has ordered an inquiry in all the states.
CP Goyal, director general in the Union ministry of forest and environment, says that with the increase in population, the pressure of encroachment on forests is increasing. In 2021, three tigers died in Uttarakhand and in 2022, a total of six tigers died.
Also Read: India home to 70% of total tiger population in world
As per the 2018 census, Madhya Pradesh ranks first with 526 tigers. Karnataka is second with 524 tigers and Uttarakhand is third with 442 tigers.
