Maharashtra’s tiger tragedy: 23 deaths in 3 months prompt government action |

In a worrying trend, Maharashtra has recorded 23 tiger deaths in the first three months of the year, sparking serious concerns among conservationists. According to the latest reports, 19 of the deaths were attributed to natural causes, including starvation, while four tigers were killed by poachers—despite a nationwide ban on poaching.
Experts warn that the crisis goes beyond the loss of individual animals and signals a deeper threat to India’s rich and fragile biodiversity.
Maharashtra’s forest department is now under probe; urgent meetings and review plans are happening that are aimed at strengthening wildlife conservation.
Mr. Ganesh Naik, Forest Minister of the city of Nagpur, who has been stationed to monitor the situation, revealed that the state’s tiger population currently stands at 446, with Chandrapur district having the highest concentration of tigers.
Chandrapur’s dense forest cover and well-substantiated ecosystem make it a favorable habitat. However, in the recent past there has been a series of deaths in a very short span of time that has raised eyebrows related to the food availability, quality habitat provisions, and protection measures.
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Surya Tara, a new wildlife sanctuary, is in progress in the Thane district of Maharashtra. Looking at the critical condition, the government decided to open up new and fully equipped places for the protection and conservation of wildlife. This will be a dedicated sanctuary for rescuing, rehabilitating, and conserving wild animals. This step is expected to improve the quality of care for the injured, overlooked, and distressed animals while also helping them manage the growing cases of human and animal conflict.

In addition to generating support for the efforts at dialogue, the government intends to plant food-producing trees in the inner forest areas. They will serve as a source of food for the grass eaters such as deer and antelope, resulting in stabilized food chains and rendering tigers’ straying into human settlements in search of their prey impossible.
Additionally, the state aims at boosting its economy by planting region-specific fruit crops such as mosambi in Marathwada, oranges in Vidarbha, etc. A sanctioned budget of INR 70 crore has been allocated to set up manufacturing factories using forest wood; they are expected to be set up within the next seven months. Old cars and equipment that are required will be replaced as part of the infrastructure for forest defense. To ensure renewable energy as well as raise extra money, the government further plans to place solar panels on unused forest space.
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Mr. Naik also highlighted the recent success in forest fire prevention, particularly in Melghat, where not a single fire incident has been reported this year so far. A newly proposed drone setup worth INR 50 lakh has been sanctioned to quickly detect and extinguish forest fires.

The minister noted that the criminal dynamics around poaching have changed, with the poachers now residing in urban areas and even having contacts abroad. A charge sheet will be filed as soon as more evidence is gathered from the ongoing investigations
The state aims to improve forest management, reinstate ecological balance, and give its animals a safer future through these comprehensive initiatives.