Is government under-reporting death of tigers?

new delhi — There seems to be a significant difference in the figures given by the government and those recorded by some organisations on the number of tiger deaths due to poaching or natural causes in India.

According to the recent data from the Union Environment Ministry, 15 tigers were confirmed dead this year till July 25, either due to poaching or based on seizures (of the pelts or body organs).

However, the Wildlife Protection Society of India (WPSI), a Delhibased nongovernmental organisation, says the number of dead tigers due to poaching or seizures during this period was 22. WPSI was set up by well-known wildlife conservationist Belinda Wright.

Of the total 74 tiger deaths reported by the government till July 25, 54 have been placed under scrutiny, while five are said to have died from natural causes. Additionally, 59 cases of tiger mortality between 2014 and 2016 are still under investigation.

Similarly, while the ministry said 33 tigers deaths in 2016 were due to poaching — either through direct evidence or on the basis of seizures — wildlife organisations put this number at 50.

According to the experts, the discrepancies in the government figures are due to the slow processing or presenting of DNA samples or delay in forensic reports on the cause of death.

“This is a natural problem. The way our system works is too slow and the figures are only reported in a legal framework. The solution is to reform the system so that it can give quick forensic and DNA reports,” said a senior forest official who requested anonymity.

According to the official, despite the National Tiger Conservation Authority’s (NTCA) guidelines, tiger deaths due to electrocution — a rising trend linked to poaching — are often recorded as accidents.

Wildlife organisations say poaching figures recorded by the government often are on the lower side as many such cases go undetected. According to Wildlife Crime Control Bureau, which keeps a real-time record of the tiger mortality, authorities often extrapolate the numbers on the basis of known poaching offences to estimate the magnitude of the problem in India. —