India hit by tiger poaching
21st June 2012
Corbett National Park in Uttarakhand and the Tadoba Tiger Reserve in Maharashtra have both been significantly affected by tiger poachers
The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has confirmed that at least 19 tiger deaths in India over the past 22 weeks are 'clear-cut cases' of poaching. In total, there has been 48 tiger deaths over the past six months but those at the NTCA believe many more could be down to poachers. Corbett National Park and the Tadoba Tiger Reserve have been hardest hit by the rise.
No specific figures have been released from individual Indian National Parks to compare whether the incidents are isolated.
Corbett National Park was India's first, and is still home to tigers, although they are few and far between. The news of poaching-related deaths mean, along with the dense vegetation, encounters are hit and miss. Asian elephants, gharial crocodiles and flocks of rare beautiful birds makes the trip a worthy one still.
Wanderlust contributor and tiger conservationist Paul Goldstein says picking the right park is incredibly important when tiger watching. He believes the best national parks (in order) are: Bandhavgarh, Ranthambore, Kanha, Pench, Satpura and Corbett.
CEO of the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation Melanie Shepherd commented on the recent rise in poaching-related tiger deaths: "With constant pressure from Far Eastern markets for tiger parts it has never been more important for us to come together to secure precious tiger habitats... we need to keep up the fight to protect the wild tiger."
More like this
Top tips from Paul Goldstein on how to watch tigers | Inspire me... More
10 top spots to see tigers | Inspire me... More
Take a look at Wanderlust's tiger watching travel guide for trip ideas | Plan a trip... More
Tracking tigers on foot in India | Destinations... More
Last chance to see the tiger? | News... More