Karnataka lost most tigers to poachers

BANGALORE: The tiger census has kicked off in the state and there's hope it'll show that conservation efforts have paid off. But Karnataka has been losing more tigers to poachers than anywhere else in the country.

According to information of the ministry of environment and forests (MoEF), Karnataka, which has a tiger population between 280 and 320, lost 15 tigers between 2008 and 2013.

Poachers killed 101 tigers across 17 states since 2008. These are Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Mizoram, Odisha, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.

In 2012, five tigers were killed by poachers in the state, while 34 tigers were killed across 17 states. In 2010 and 2011, Karnataka recorded eight cases, while the all-India number stood at 41. Similarly, in 2008 and 2009, Karnataka lost three tigers as opposed to 26 across the country.

MoEF officials, while pointing out that the Centre has initiated several steps to prevent poaching and punish offenders, argue they're already seeing some changes.

While the total number of poaching incidents in India declined to 16 in 2011 from 25 in 2010, it increased to 34 in 2012. And, in 2013, the Wildlife Protection Society of India has reported 37 deaths due to poaching, the highest since 2008. The statewise figures are yet to be compiled.

State government officials insist that the state has one of the best enforcement mechanisms in the country and it also has an efficient team of officials to protect tigers.

The MoEF maintains that proximity of human settlement with tiger habitats is a major reason for poaching. There are about 762 villages with 48,549 families in the core/critical tiger habitats across the country. Karnataka houses 101 of such villages with about 6,159 families.

The Centre has initiated several steps for rehabilitation of such families and has also been releasing annual funds to state governments.