The state has seen around three tigresses and seven leopards losing their lives in a span of just around two-and-a-half months. Of these, two leopards were killed by speeding vehicles.
The tiger census, results for which were released in 2014, has said India has 2,226 tigers, up from 1,706 in 2010. Maharashtra has around 190 such big cats; the number was 169 in 2010.
In a written reply to a question by Amit Deshmukh (Congress-Latur city) and others in the state legislative assembly on Thursday, forest minister Sudhir Mungantiwar said in the last two to two-and-a-half months, two tigresses and seven leopards were found to have lost their lives in the Tadoba-Andhari tiger project in Chandrapur and one tigress was found dead in the Charmoshi area in Gadchiroli's Alapalli forest region.
"Of these 10 wild animals, two leopards were killed after two-wheelers or four-wheelers rammed into them," said Mungantiwar, who is also the state finance minister. These animals are included in Schedule 1 of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
In a written reply to a question by Yogesh Sagar (BJP-Charkop) and others, Mungantiwar said they had taken a number of measures to protect tigers. This included deploying a special tiger protection force in Pench and Tadoba tiger projects, patrolling by ex-servicemen in protected areas to check hunting, and provision of vehicles and weapons like pistols and rifles to the forest department staff.
Wireless networks have been activated in all tiger projects, surveillance towers erected in jungles wherever necessary, funds made available for rewarding informers and sniffer dogs deployed in Nagpur and Chandrapur to detect animal parts at railway stations, bus stands, markets and suspicious places.
Meanwhile, while replying to a question by Vijay Vadettiwar (Congress-Bramhapuri) and others, Mungantiwar said 30,362 trees had been felled illegally between January and March 2014 in the 14 forest regions. This also consists of 11,659 valuable saag trees worth Rs1.47 crore in the market. However, saag wood worth Rs1.23 crore has also been seized.
The state saw illicit tree felling worth Rs10.62 crore in 2011, Rs8.14 crore in 2012, Rs7.86 crore in 2013 and 2014 saw trees valued at Rs2.64 crore being cut.
