Tiger Mortality Protocol in India

The stringent protocol for documenting tiger deaths in India involves several key steps:

1. Only tiger mortality reported by an official source from the State Government is recorded in the database.

2. Even if third-party sources report a tiger death to the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), confirmation is sought from the State before inclusion.

3. All tiger deaths are handled according to the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) issued by the NTCA under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. Non-compliance is taken seriously, and inquiries are initiated by the NTCA Regional Office if necessary.

4. The State bears the responsibility of providing evidence to classify a death as natural or due to poaching, supported by necropsy reports, pathology reports, photographs, forensic reports, and other specified documents.

5. Necropsy reports often play a crucial role in determining the cause of death.

6. In the absence of conclusive evidence, other supporting reports are utilized to reach a conclusion.

7. Analysis of the evidence is conducted at the NTCA Headquarters in Delhi, where the cause of death is determined. In cases of doubt, despite evidence, the death is attributed to poaching for precautionary reasons.

Welcome to the page dedicated to documenting tiger mortality events in India. Here, you will find comprehensive details of tiger deaths occurring between 2012 and 2022. Utilize the navigation buttons provided on the left to explore specific information categorized by year, state, tiger reserve, cause of death, and case status.

Adhering to stringent protocols established by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), all tiger deaths are initially treated as potential poaching incidents. However, through meticulous investigation, including the collection of post-mortem reports, forensic analyses, and circumstantial evidence, each case is carefully scrutinized to determine its cause—whether natural, poaching-related, or other.

The data presented here covers all recorded tiger mortality events spanning from 2012 to July 2022. As of now, 72.03% of documented tiger mortality cases have been thoroughly examined and closed following scrutiny of post-mortem and forensic reports. Meanwhile, 27.97% of cases remain under scrutiny, awaiting further investigation.

Explore the detailed information provided below to gain insights into the status and trends of tiger mortality in India over the past decade.

Based on the location of tiger mortality events, the data from 2012 to 2022 (up to July 2022) is categorized into three distinct groups:

1. Tiger Mortalities Inside Tiger Reserves:

   • This category comprises tiger mortality events that occurred within the boundaries of designated tiger reserves.
   • Out of a total of 1062 tiger mortality events, 53.2% (565 tiger deaths) took place inside tiger reserves.

2. Tiger Mortalities Outside Tiger Reserves:

   • These events refer to tiger mortality incidents that occurred outside the boundaries of tiger reserves.
   • Approximately 35.22% (374 tiger deaths) of recorded tiger mortalities were documented outside tiger reserve areas.

3. Seizures of Tiger Skin/Bone:

   • This category includes instances where tiger skins or bones were seized, indicating illegal trade or poaching activities.
   • About 11.58% (123) of recorded tiger mortality events involved the seizure of tiger parts.

This data provides insights into the distribution of tiger mortality events across different geographical locations, highlighting the importance of conservation efforts both within and outside designated tiger reserve areas.

Below are the specifics of tiger mortality from 2012 to 2020, categorized by causes including natural deaths, poaching incidents, unnatural deaths not linked to poaching, and seizures:

Tiger mortality data categorized by reserves for the period spanning 2012 to July 2022, as reported by Tiger Reserves and Tiger Range States.

Below, you’ll find the state-wise details of tiger mortality for the period spanning from 2012 to July 2022, inclusive of seizure cases.