Why has MP lost 16 tigers in a year?

dynamitenews.com
Bhopal/ 9 April 2016.  Madhya Pradesh (MP) has lost nearly 16 tigers due to poaching and other reasons in the last one year. With this, MP, once tagged as tiger state, has slipped to number three slot in the country in big cats count.

Team Dynamite News looks into the matter. 

Prayatna, an NGO, has blamed the state government for dwindling numbers. However forest officials contended that most of the deaths were natural.

Seven deaths were reported from Pench Tiger Reserve (PTR) where a tigress and its two cubs were poisoned last month, said an official of National Tiger Conservation Authority. Three persons were arrested for this. 

In September last year, the PTR authorities arrested four poachers and recovered body parts of a big cat they had killed. 

    
However, Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Wildlife) Shahbaz Ahmad said, "The state government and forest department are doing their best to protect tigers.”