Madhya Pradesh with 20 deaths leads the pack followed by Uttarakhand (10), Maharashtra (8) Karnataka (7), Tamil Nadu (6) and Kerala (5). Investigations being tardy and long drawn - details on the reasons are still sketchy in the case of 59 tigers. Of the 15 investigated, only two tigers have succumbed to natural causes, four died due to poisoning and one was electrocuted, one drowned, three in a fight, one killed in a conflict, a tigress died due to injury, one in an accident, and one animal was poached.

However, wildlife experts say that 30 or more animals have been poached in the last seven months posing a dilemma for tiger conservationists.

A tiger conservationist opines, “Mortality between January-July 2016 is disturbingly high so authorities should call for concerted action. Increased poaching, trading in body parts and successive loss of tiger habitat to developmental projects has resulted in this situation.”

As per 2014 tiger census, there were 2,226 tigers in India, almost 60 per cent of the world’s tiger population. However, these happy figures may be dented now as poaching has been on the rise in some tiger reserves. Two states show the maximum deaths with monthly reports of seizure of tiger skin, claws, teeth, bones, etc

The number of tigers killed and seized for its body parts vary between 50-60 with Tigernet and WPSI differing on both death numbers and seizures. As per Tigernet, till July 27, 2016, 59 tigers were killed with seizure of 15 body parts. Tigernet is the official database of National Tiger Conservation Authority.

However, as per Wildlife Protection Society of India (WPSI), this year, till July, out of the 50 tigers that have been killed, 31 lost their lives due to poaching. If 15 died due to poisoning, electrocution and were killed by poachers, another 16 animal body parts were seized. Compared to this, last year, out of 91 tigers that were killed, 26 were poached and their body parts seized.

According to Traffic India, poaching for tiger parts and habitat loss are both major threats to tigers. Between 2000-2014, their research found that body parts of about 1,590 tigers were seized in tiger range countries, an average of two tigers per week.

7 die in Karnataka

In Karnataka, seven tigers have died due to various reasons in the last seven months. Four tigers have died in Nagarhole alone between January-April. The cause of death in three animals are yet to be ascertained while one tiger died due to natural resons. Bandipur lost two tigers - one due to infighting and another - reasons not known. Chikkamagaluru Territorial Forests lost one tiger due to poaching.