While poaching, infighting and retaliation by affected people have been repeatedly cited as causes of the fast depleting tiger population, systematic State-sponsored extermination of the big cats has never figured as a reason.

According to notifications issued by the Madhya Pradesh Forest Department, hundreds of tigers were “allowed” to be killed till as recently as 1972.

The notifications clearly state that permission was given out under the colonial practice of game-hunting for “destruction of flesh-eating carnivores”.

In 1970-71 alone, 35 tigers, 46 leopards and numerous other wild animals were killed in just one forest circle of the State, leaving the Forest Department richer by revenues earned through the permissions.

“It was a parochial practice which may have caused the fall in tiger population to a considerable extent,” says Chief Wildlife Warden R. S. Negi.

“Today, erstwhile maharajas proudly boast of how many tigers they killed. The fact is that it was wrong, having allowed the depletion of wildlife so freely. But all this stopped 30 years ago,” he adds.

The department had issued several notifications allowing a certain number of tigers to be killed from each forest circle till 1972, after which the Wildlife (Protection) Act came into force, prohibiting such killings.

While the State-sponsored killings no longer take place, the damage they have done reflects heavily in the form of the current crisis of tiger population.

“How can the State justify the destruction of precious wildlife to fulfil the whims of the rich and the elite?” says Anil Garg, a wildlife activist.

Hundreds of tigers, leopards, cheetahs and bison were killed during 1950-72. Further, there was no limit for hunting animals like bear, as the notifications had the term “unlimited” written against these animals.