A total of 41 tigers have died in Maharashtra in 2025, the state government informed the Assembly on Wednesday, with the majority of deaths attributed to natural causes.
Replying to a question, Forest Minister Ganesh Naik said 28 of the deaths were due to natural causes, eight resulted from accidents, four from electrocution and one from poaching.
The minister said the government was stepping up measures to curb fatalities caused by railway accidents, electrocution and illegal hunting. He flagged the Ballarshah–Gondia railway line as particularly vulnerable, noting that it passes through forest divisions and sensitive buffer zones of the Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve and Navegaon-Nagzira Tiger Reserve.
According to official data, five tigers lost their lives on this railway route between 2011 and 2025.
“To prevent the deaths of wild animals in railway accidents, the Chief Conservator of Forests (Regional), Chandrapur, has formally communicated with the Railway Department to implement specific safety measures,” Naik stated in his written reply.
The proposed steps include constructing underpasses and overpasses on newly proposed railway lines to facilitate safe animal movement, enforcing a speed limit of 40 kmph for trains passing through sensitive forest stretches, and ensuring proper disposal of food waste by passengers so that animals are not drawn to the tracks.
Also read: 54 tigers died in 2025, 10 in 2026: MP HC seeks replies
Naik said rising wildlife numbers due to sustained conservation efforts have also led to increased migration, as animals move in search of new habitats, heightening the risk of human-wildlife conflict.
To address this, the state has submitted a proposal to the Finance Department to recruit 368 contractual personnel for Rapid Rescue Units (RRU), the Tiger Cell (TCC) and Elephant Tracking Teams.
The minister outlined several high-tech interventions currently in use. Field staff are using the M-STRiPES mobile-based monitoring system to track suspicious activities. A dedicated Wildlife Crime Cell has been strengthened in Nagpur, while a Cyber Cell in Melghat is analysing digital footprints to track poachers.
He added that deployment of Special Tiger Protection Forces (STPF), dog squads and the use of metal detectors to detect iron traps near water holes are also being considered.
Naik assured the House that district-level tiger committees are meeting regularly to refine protection strategies and that a “Secret Service Fund” is being utilised to sustain informant networks at the range level.
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