Till August 26 this year, there were reports of 51 tiger deaths from several states, Environment and Forest Minister Jayanthi Natarajan told Rajya Sabha in a written reply to a query.

"Eight tigers succumbed to poaching, while six of them died due to natural and other causes. 37 deaths are under scrutiny," she said.

Thirteen big cats died in Karnataka, followed by nine in Maharashtra, Natarajan said.

Replying to query on elephant deaths, Natarajan said in the current financial year 2013-14, three pachyderms died after they were hit by a moving train between Banarhat and Binnaguri railway station in West Bengal on May 30.

On August 22, an elephant died in a similar accident near Manjhra East railway station at Katerniaghat Sanctuary area in Uttar Pradesh's Bahraich district.

In 2012-13, there were reports of 14 pachyderm deaths. Ten cases were reported from Odisha, while four from West Bengal.

The four elephants which died in West Bengal were killed after being hit by a moving train, Natarajan said.

She said funding assistance is provided to states under centrally sponsored schemes - 'Project Tiger', 'Project Elephant' and 'Integrated Development of Wildlife Habitats' - for conservation of tiger, elephant and other wild animals, including mitigation of human-wildlife conflicts.