Nagpur: In a concerning trend for wildlife conservation, more than half of the tiger deaths in India between 2021 and 2025 have occurred outside protected tiger reserves, according to data released by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA). Of the 667 tiger deaths reported during this period, 341—or 51 per cent—took place outside notified reserves.

The data, which reflects year-wise tiger mortality, shows a fluctuating but troubling pattern:

• 2021: 129 deaths (64 outside reserves)
• 2022: 122 deaths (52 outside reserves)
• 2023: 182 deaths (100 outside reserves)
• 2024: 126 deaths (65 outside reserves)
• 2025 (till date): 108 deaths (60 outside reserves)

Maharashtra Tops with Most Tiger Deaths Outside Reserves:

Among all states, Maharashtra has recorded the highest number of tiger deaths outside reserves at 111, followed by Madhya Pradesh with 90 such incidents. Other states with notable figures include Kerala, Uttarakhand, Karnataka, and Telangana.

A breakdown of deaths outside reserves over the years shows:

• 2021: Maharashtra (23), Madhya Pradesh (18), Kerala (5), Telangana (4)
• 2022: Maharashtra (18), Madhya Pradesh (12), Kerala & Uttarakhand (4 each)
• 2023: Maharashtra (34), Madhya Pradesh (13), Kerala & Uttarakhand (11 each), Karnataka (6)
• 2024: Madhya Pradesh (24), Maharashtra (16)
• 2025 (so far): Maharashtra (20), Madhya Pradesh (13), Kerala (8), Karnataka (7)

Rising Concern Over Tigers Living Outside Protected Areas:

The NTCA’s extended data shows that between 2012 and 2024, India lost 1,519 tigers, of which 634 (42%) died outside reserves. Alarmingly, around 30 per cent of India’s estimated 3,682 tigers currently reside outside protected tiger habitats, putting them at higher risk from poaching, road accidents, habitat fragmentation, and human-wildlife conflict.

New Government Initiative: Tigers Outside Tiger Reserves (TOTR)

To address the rising mortality and growing instances of human-tiger conflict, the government is set to launch a dedicated initiative titled Tigers Outside Tiger Reserves (TOTR). The project will cover 80 forest divisions across 17 states, focusing on monitoring, conflict mitigation, and habitat management in non-protected areas.

Wildlife experts emphasize that the data highlights the urgent need to expand conservation efforts beyond traditional reserves, especially as increasing tiger populations continue to move beyond existing protected zones.