International Tiger Day: Big cat mortality drops 29% so far in 2024

In a positive turn for wildlife conservation, the number of tiger deaths in India has significantly decreased, with 81 reported fatalities from January 1 to July 29, 2024, compared to 114 during the same period last year. This represents a 29 per cent decline in tiger deaths, according to the National Tiger Conservation Authority’s (NTCA’s) mortality data. Additionally, the mortality rate among tiger cubs has also seen a reduction, with 8 cub deaths reported this year, down from 13 in 2023.

The year 2023 was the worst for the tiger population, recording the highest number of mortalities in a decade with 178 tigers dying.

As per the 5th cycle of the All India Tiger Estimation 2022 summary report, India has 3,682 tigers and is now home to more than 70 per cent of the world’s wild tiger population. These encouraging statistics come as the world marks International Tiger Day, a day dedicated to raising awareness about tiger conservation.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday pitched for people’s participation in protecting forest and wildlife. International Tiger Day serves as a platform to raise awareness about the challenges faced by these magnificent creatures and the efforts being made to safeguard their future.

Journey of conservation

The initiative was aimed at increasing the tiger population on the brink of extinction in the 1970s. There were just 1,411 tigers in India in 1972.

According to estimates, India had 40,000 tigers in the wild at the end of the 19th century. Their numbers declined drastically in the 20th century due to rampant trophy hunting and habitat destruction.

Alarmed by this dismal trend, the Indian Board for Wild Life (IBWL) in 1969 recommended a total ban on the export of all wild cat skins, including those of tigers. In the same year, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) included the tiger in its “Red Data Book” as an endangered species and called for a global ban on tiger killings.

In 1973, the government launched Project Tiger at the Corbett Tiger Reserve. The initial phase included nine tiger reserves. The initiative completed 50 years in 2023 for which a commemorative event was held in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the ‘Amrit Kaal Ka Vision For Tiger Conservation’.

During a commemorative programme of 50 years of Project Tiger, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) in 2023 for the conservation of seven big cats: Tiger, Lion, Leopard, Snow Leopard, Cheetah, Jaguar, and Puma. The alliance aims to reach out to range countries covering the natural habitats of these big cats. The IBCA seeks to strengthen global cooperation and efforts to conserve these wild denizens.

In 2005, the Tiger Task Force submitted a report to the Government of India, leading to significant amendments to the Wildlife (Protection) Act in 2006. These amendments resulted in the establishment of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) and the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau as statutory bodies.