Lok Sabha Question No. 3823 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-08-09
Subject: Death of Tigers
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: JOSE K. MANI

## 3823. SHRI JOSE K. MANI:

Will the Minister of ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether as many as 74 tigers have died between 1 January and 26 June, 2016;
- (b) if  so,  whether  large  scale  poaching  is  responsible  for  these  fatalities  and  if  so,  the  details thereof;
- (c) whether  as  per  wildlife  experts,  intelligence-led  enforcement  operation  is  the  key  to  thwart poaching; and
- (d) if so, the steps proposed to be taken in this regard?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) FOR ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## (SHRI ANIL MADHAV DAVE)

- (a) No  Sir.    The  number  of  tigers  died  between  1  January  and  26  June,  2016, inter  alia including 15 seizures, is 67 and not 74.
- (b) 77 cases of tiger mortality have been reported by the States till date, which, inter alia, includes 21 cases of confirmed poaching including seizure, 7 cases due to natural and other causes while 49 cases are under scrutiny.
- (c) & (d) A  number  of  antipoaching  measures  have  been  taken  by  the  Government  of  India  to thwart poaching which inter alia includes intelligence based enforcement operation also and the same are at Annexure-I .

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## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3823

## TO BE ANSWERED ON 09.08.2016

## Death of Tigers

## ANNEXURE-I

## ANNEXURE  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (c)  &  (d)  OF  THE LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED  QUESTION  NO.  3823  ON  DEATH  OF  TIGERS  DUE  FOR  REPLY  ON 09.08.2016

Number of antipoaching measures taken by the Government of India to thwart poaching which inter alia includes intelligence based enforcement operation

- Providing  assistance  to  States  under  the  Centrally  Sponsored  Scheme  of  Project  Tiger  for protection infrastructure and antipoaching operations (including deployment of Tiger Protection Force and Special Tiger Protection Force )
- Providing  grant  through  NTCA  for  patrolling  in  tiger  rich  sensitive  forest  areas  outside  tiger reserves
- Alerting the States as and when required
- Transmitting backward / forward linkages of information relating to poachers
- Advising the States for combing forest floor to check snares / traps
- Performing  supervisory  field  visits  through  the  National  Tiger  Conservation  Authority  and  its regional offices
- Using information technology for improved surveillance (e-Eye system) using thermal cameras launched in Corbett, Ratapani and Kaziranga
- Launching  tiger  reserve  level  monitoring  using  camera  trap  to  keep  a  photo  ID  database  of individual tigers
- Preparing a national database  of individual  tiger  photo captures to  establish  linkage  with  body parts seized or dead tigers
- Assisting  States  to  refine  protection  oriented  monitoring  through  monitoring  system  for  tiger's intensive protection and ecological status (M-STrIPES)
- Assisting States to deploy local workforce in a big way for protection to complement the efforts of  field  staff  [In  all,  approximately  25  lakh  mandays  are  generated  annually  with  50%  central assistance amounting to around Rs. 25 crores (excluding matching 50% share given by States) under Project Tiger.  Many local tribes constitute such local workforce (besides non-tribals), eg. Baigas, Gonds in Madhya Pradesh, Gonds in Maharashtra, Chenchus in Andhra Pradesh, Sholigas in Karnataka, Gujjars in Uttarakhand and Irulas in Tamil Nadu to name a few.
- Initiative  taken  for  collaboration  of  National  Tiger  Conservation  Authority  and Wildlife  Crime Control  Bureau  towards  an  online  tiger  /  wildlife  crime  tracking  /  reporting  system  in  tiger reserves.

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