This includes Srinivas, who was electrocuted to death in Nagbhid range in April. In 2017, Maharashtra lost 15 tigers to various causes, of which five deaths are due to electrocution.
There is a new danger lurking for Maharashtra's tigers—that of death by electrocution. Between November 2016 to November 2017, the state lost six tigers due to poaching by electrocution.
This includes Srinivas, who was electrocuted to death in Nagbhid range in April. In 2017, Maharashtra lost 15 tigers to various causes, of which five deaths are due to electrocution.
"Patches around farms are electrified to kill herbivores, but it leads to the deaths of carnivores like tigers and also human beings," said a senior forest department official. Sometimes, tigers are killed along with the herbivores when the two are electrocuted during the chase.
He added that many put on electrified wires deliberately for poaching. "If these agriculturists want to protect their crops, they can use solar fencing as it has been done in the villages in a 2,500 hectare area around the Tadoba Andhari tiger reserve," the official said.
"The major problem is 11KV lines, which are illegally hooked. The Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MahaVitaran) should launch underground cabling and insulation of networks in these areas and also shift these poles to the main roads to prevent them from being tapped," he noted.
Dr Anish Andheria, President, Wildlife Conservation Trust (WCT) said that it was a grave situation as electrocution was killing more animals than organised poaching. "We got to know about tigers as two of them were even radio collared think about the numbers of leopards, wolves and other mammals killed due to electrocution and never reported," he said.
History speaks
In 2016, India lost 98 tigers — the highest since 2010. Of these Maharashtra accounted for 15 mortalities.
In 2015, the deaths stood at 12, up from seven in 2014 and 10 in 2013.
Tiger electrocutions:
November 4, 2016: Tiger at Gondpimpri, Kothari range, Central Chanda
January 13, 2017: Tigress at Maharkund village, Khapa range near Nagpur
April 20, 2017: Srinivas (T10) at Mangli village, Bramhapuri forest division
October 14, 2017: Tigress at Ambora village, Wardha
November 3, 2017: Tigress at Narayanpur village in Alapali forest division, Gadchiroli
November 7, 2017: Tiger at Amadi village, Bramhapuri division
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "Tiger")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}