Context:

• According to the National Tiger Conservation Authority’s (NTCA) records till December 15, 2018, there were 95 cases of tiger deaths in the country. Of this, 41 cases of tiger deaths outside tiger reserves have been reported.

Details:

• Most of the deaths outside tiger reserves in the country were reported in Maharastra in 2018, which is mainly because more than a third of its tigers live outside tiger reserves in the State.
• And also, in many areas, they are venturing into human dominated landscape which increases the probability of human-animal conflict and results in deaths
• The NTCA maintains the official database of tiger mortality in the country, and compiles figures from reports sent by different States on the basis of recovery of bodies or seizure of body parts.

About NTCA:

• It is a statutory body under the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change constituted under enabling provisions of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972
• It was initially launched in 2005, following the recommendations of the Tiger Task Force. It was given statutory status by 2006 amendment of the Wildlife Protection Act
• It is set up under the chairmanship of the Minister of Environment, Forests and Climate Change
• It approves the reserve specific tiger conservation plan prepared by the State Government.
• evaluate and assess various aspects of sustainable ecology and disallow any ecologically unsustainable land use such as, mining, industry and other projects within the tiger reserves;
• provide for management focus and measures for addressing conflicts of men and wild animal and to emphasize on co-existence in forest areas outside the National Parks, sanctuaries or tiger reserve, in the working plan code;
• provide information on protection measures including future conservation plan, estimation of population of tiger and its natural prey species, status of habitats, disease surveillance, mortality survey, patrolling, reports on untoward happenings and such other management aspects as it may deem fit including future plan conservation;
• ensure critical support including scientific, information technology and legal support for better implementation of the tiger conservation plan;
• Facilitate ongoing capacity building programme for skill development of officers and staff of tiger reserves.
• The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) recently ordered that there would be no tribal rights under the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 (FRA) in critical tiger habitats.