Deaths of 41 tigers recorded in Maharashtra in 2025: Minister

A total of 41 tigers died in Maharashtra in 2025, with the majority of them dying due to natural causes, a State Minister told the Assembly on Wednesday (February 25, 2026).

The government is intensifying efforts to curb the deaths of tigers due to accidents, electrocution, and poaching, State Forest Minister Ganesh Naik said.

As per the data provided by the Minister, out of the deaths of 41 tigers, 28 died due to natural causes, eight others due to accidents, four due to electrocution, and one due to poaching.

The Minister highlighted the vulnerability of the Ballarshah-Gondia railway line, which traverses through several forest divisions and the sensitive buffer zones of the Tadoba-Andhari and Navegaon-Nagzira tiger reserves in the State. Statistics show that five tigers lost their lives on this specific railway route between 2011 and 2025, he said.

"To prevent the deaths of wild animals in railway accidents, the Chief Conservator of Forests [Regional], Chandrapur, has formally communicated with the Railway Department to implement specific safety measures," Mr. Naik stated in his reply.

The proposed measures include construction of underpasses and overpasses on newly-proposed railway lines to allow safe movement of animals; enforcing a speed limit of 40 kmph for trains passing through sensitive forest zones; and appropriate disposal of food waste by train passengers to ensure animals are not lured toward the tracks.

Mr. Naik noted that effective conservation efforts have led to an increase in the wildlife population. However, this success brings the challenge of migration as animals search for new habitats, often resulting in human-wildlife conflict.

To manage this, the government has submitted a proposal to the Finance Department to recruit 368 personnel on a contract basis for Rapid Rescue Units (RRU), Tiger Cell (TCC), and Elephant Tracking Teams. The written reply also detailed the high-tech measures currently in place to protect the tigers in the State.

The Minister said the field staff have been using the M-Stripes mobile-based monitoring system to track suspicious activities. A dedicated Wildlife Crime Cell has been strengthened in Nagpur, while a Cyber Cell in Melghat is utilising digital footprints to track poachers.

Deployment of Special Tiger Protection Forces (STPF), dog squads, and the use of metal detectors to find iron traps near water holes are being considered, Mr. Naik said.

The Minister assured the House that district-level tiger committees are meeting regularly to refine protection strategies and that a 'Secret Service Fund' is being utilised to maintain a network of informants at the range level.