While the total number of tiger deaths at 78 is less compared to last year’s 89, the number of poaching cases has shot up much to the dismay of conservationists.

According to the figures from WPSI, while 13 tigers were poached in 2011, the figures reached 30 in 2010. In 2009, 32 tigers fell prey to poachers. It was preceded by 29 and 27 tigers poached in 2008 and 2007, respectively. The second highest figure of tiger poaching at 37 was recorded in 2006.

According to Programme coordinator, WPSI, Tito Joseph, “In the course of our investigation, we found that the poachers caught

were those involved in the cases of seizures, none of those who had killed tigers could be nabbed.”

Sources in the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), however, maintained that several cases of tiger deaths this year are still under investigation. “Unless the probe is over we can’t be sure,” he said.

According to experts, proximity of human settlement with tiger habitats is one of the major reasons for poaching. There are about 762 villages with 48,549 families in the core/critical tiger habitats across the country. Karnataka has one of the highest of 101 of such villages with about 6,159 families.

A group of 10 poachers with 15 tiger claws, two tiger canines and Rs 2 lakh in cash have been arrested on Sunday near BRT reserve in Karnataka. The arrests came in the wake of the joint efforts of NTCA and wildlife crime control bureau along with the State Forest department that were tracking a group of tribesmen from Mandsaur district in Madhya Pradesh. The sources informed that they were planning to carry out tiger poaching in the forests on Karnataka-Tamil Nadu border. The group had landed in Kollegal two days ago to poach tigers when the arrests were made. The intelligence input had also specified that the group was posing as merchants dealing with plastic.