Published On : Fri, Mar 31st, 2023

Tadoba Reserve saw 7 tiger deaths in 2022, highest in last 5 years: RTI reply

In the last five years, a total of 18 tiger deaths were recorded in TATR. A tiger death was recorded in 2018, 3 deaths in 2019, 4 deaths in 2020, 3 deaths in 2021 and 7 in 2022
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Nagpur: Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR) in the Chandrapur district, which is a hot spot for man-animal conflict in Maharashtra, witnessed the highest number of tiger deaths in 2022 in the last five years.

According to the Forest Department’s reply to an RTI query by activist Abhay Kolarkar, “TATR witnessed seven tiger deaths in 2022, the highest in the last five years.” In the last five years, a total of 18 tiger deaths were recorded in TATR. One tiger death was recorded in 2018, three deaths in 2019, four deaths in 2020, three deaths in 2021, and seven in 2022.

The RTI reply also stated that 13 tiger deaths took place due to natural causes, four due to poaching, and one due to electrocution. The Government of Maharashtra is concerned about the increasing man-animal conflicts in the Chandrapur district. To reduce the conflict, the government is taking bold steps such as forming study groups, conducting public awareness programs, and shifting troubling tigers to other tiger reserves.

In a recent move, the Forest Department shifted some troubling tigers from Chandrapur to Navegaon Nagzira Tiger Reserve. The increasing number of tigers in the Chandrapur district is the primary reason behind the man-animal conflict in the area. The excess tigers have started venturing into human settlements near the forest area, causing conflicts. Due to the increasing tiger population in the area, the Forest Department has started shifting some of the tigers to NNTR, where the number of tigers is less.

In the last 12 years, TATR witnessed a significant increase in the tiger population due to a good tiger conservation plan by the Centre and State Government. However, the government failed to balance the increasing tiger population and human population, which is now causing conflicts.

As per the RTI reply, there were 17 tigers in TATR in 2010, which has now increased many times. In 2021, there were 86 tigers in TATR itself, which is increasing every year. As per the reply, there were 115 tigers in TATR in 2019, but due to various reasons, including migration, poaching, natural deaths, and territorial fights, the number has now reduced. As per the report, in 2010, the tiger density per 100 square kilometers was 5.29,whereas in 2021, the density per 100 square kilometers is 6.31, which is a good sign.

However, the leopard population in TATR has decreased by 33 in three years. As per the report, there were 151 leopards in TATR in 2019, which decreased to 109 in 2020, and in 2021 the number is 118. In the last three years, the leopard density per 100 square kilometers area has also increased. In 2019, the density per 100 square kilometers was 6.86. In 2020, it was 8.39, and in 2021 the density was 7.07.

The RTI reply highlights the challenges faced by the Forest Department in balancing the conservation of tigers and leopards and the increasing human population in the Chandrapur district. The efforts taken by the government to reduce the man-animal conflict are commendable, and more steps need to be taken to maintain the ecological balance in the area.