India’s tiger conservation body said 126 of the endangered big cats died in 2021, the highest toll since it began compiling data a decade ago.
The most recent death was recorded on Wednesday in Madhya Pradesh, according to the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA).
India is home to around 75% of the world’s tigers.
Over the past decade the biggest cause of death was recorded by the NTCA as being “natural causes”, but many also fell victim to poachers and “human-animal conflict”.
The government has made efforts to manage the tiger population better, however, reserving 50 habitats across the country for the animals.
India has now firmly established a leadership role in tiger conservation, with its bench marking practices.