Every tiger, leopard death will be presumed poaching:

National Tiger Conservation Authority Says

 

NAGPUR: National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has decided that henceforth every case of tiger and leopard death will be treated as poaching incident unless proved to be natural death. The latest directive by Rajesh Gopal, member-secretary of NTCA, follows after a recent spurt in tiger poaching cases, specially in Chandrapur district of Maharashtra. The NTCA move is seen as an effort to make the states take every tiger death seriously and follow the protocol to ascertain the exact cause of death.

 

In the six months since November 3, 2011, the state has lost 10 tigers, most of them to poaching. Several tigers have died under mysterious circumstances. “Maharashtra has been very casual in submitting reports about the deaths. Whenever a tiger dies, we just receive an SMS and that’s all. In all 10 tiger deaths, detailed reports including forensic report establishing cause of death have still not been submitted to us,” NTCA officials told TOI. SWH Naqvi, principal chief conservator of forests (wildlife), Maharashtra, responded, “It is possible that detailed reports have not been sent. I will check-up. We will do what is necessary.”

 

http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-05-31/flora-fauna/31920641_1_tiger-death-national-tiger-conservation-authority-ntca