THE TIMES OF INDIA

Krishnendu Mukherjee, TNN, Jan 22, 2011

GUWAHATI: The tiger doesn't seem to be burning bright anymore in India. The country, once home to 40,000 tigers, is left with just 1,200-1,500 big cats, according to the last census (2008) by the National Tiger Conservation Authority. If that isn't bad enough, Wildlife Protection Society of India's (WPSI) wildlife crime database has even more depressing news for officials. According to the 2010 WPSI study, 58 tigers died under various circumstances and Assam ranks second in tiger mortality index, just behind Madhya Pradesh. Of the 58 deaths, 30 (51%) were poaching and seizure-related.

Assam, which was in the news days ago after the Kaziranga reserve reported the highest tiger density in the world, lost nine tigers last year. "Skeletons of two tigers were seized, one was a confirmed poaching case, four tigers were found dead, one man-eater was shot dead and another tiger died from reported infighting. Of the nine tigers, five were from Kaziranga. The origin of the two tiger skeletons is not known," said WPSI executive director Belinda Wright. 

read full story here