Tiger, tiger, let's count them right

First, the good news: there has been a decline in tiger deaths. According to National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), tiger mortality has dropped by 37%, with 115 deaths reported in 2024 compared to 182 in 2023. Poaching cases are down, falling from 17 last year to 4 this year. But challenges remain: perhaps the most underrated one of being able to count.

There are gaps in data on the causes of fatalities. NTCA's 30-pg 'Standard Operating Procedure for Dealing with Tiger Death' makes state authorities responsible for monitoring big cat deaths. No death can be entered into the database without an authentic report from state governments. Non-compliance is taken seriously, and investigations are initiated when needed. States must prove whether a death was natural or due to poaching, supported by necropsy reports, pathology findings, forensic evidence, etc. Necropsy (dissection) is essential for establishing, confirming and sometimes clarifying a diagnosis. It is also critical to identify if infectious or non-infectious diseases contributed to deaths to prevent any further spread.

Identifying causes of tiger deaths isn't always straightforward due to delayed recovery of bodies and advanced decomposition, which can limit opportunities for biological sampling and laboratory examinations. Also, deviations from the uniform reporting process pose another hurdle. While GoI and state governments have done good work on tiger conservation, the latter needs to bolster their systems, resources, patrolling and technology because accurate cause-of-death information is vital. Without it, effective measures to prevent avoidable deaths cannot be implemented, hampering long-term conservation efforts for this keystone species.