3 min readMumbaiMar 13, 2026 04:51 PM IST
First published on: Mar 13, 2026 at 04:51 PM IST
The Maharashtra government informed the Legislative Council on Friday that 166 tiger deaths were recorded in the country last year, of which 41 occurred in the state.
The information was shared in reply to Independent MLC Satyajeet Tambe, among others, who had asked what steps were taken by the Maharashtra government to curb tiger deaths.
In his written reply, Forest Minister Ganesh Naik stated that on January 7, 2026, a tiger cub was found dead, and preliminary investigations suggested the death was caused by a fight among tigers. Similarly, another decomposed carcass of a tiger cub was found. Prima facie, that death appeared to be due to natural causes, the minister added.
“Regular patrolling is conducted in hypersensitive areas by teams of the Special Tiger Protection Force (STPF). Additionally, hunting activities are monitored through dog squad patrols. Field staff have been provided with mobiles equipped with the M-Stripes system to track suspicious movements,” the reply stated.
“Informers have been appointed at the range level to gather intelligence on illegal poachers, and action is taken based on the information received. Secret service funds are utilized for this purpose.
“A wireless communication system has been activated in hypersensitive areas,” the reply further said.
The reply added that protection huts and observation towers have been constructed to maintain focus on forest locations.
“To maintain up-to-date information on wildlife crimes in the state, a Wildlife Crime Cell has been established at the Office of the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Nagpur, and is currently being strengthened. Furthermore, a Cyber Cell established in the Melghat Tiger Project is used to track accused individuals involved in poaching incidents.
“Checkposts have been set up at necessary points in hypersensitive areas to conduct regular inspections of incoming and outgoing vehicles.
“A fortnightly tracking program for tigers and leopards is implemented at the range level to monitor their presence. Inspections of nomadic settlements near villages are conducted to monitor their movements,” the minister also said in his reply.
The forest minister informed the House that surveillance of suspicious activities is maintained by installing camera traps in tiger corridors, water bodies, and other critical locations. Additionally, waterbodies are regularly inspected to prevent poisoning. Metal detectors are also used to ensure that hunters have not placed iron traps on paths leading to water sources.
The forest minister informed the House that surveillance of suspicious activities is maintained by installing camera traps in tiger corridors, water bodies, and other critical locations. (File Photo) 
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