State No 2 in tiger mortality
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.
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