Bhubaneswar: At least three Royal Bengal Tigers (RBT) and 26 leopards were killed by poachers in the forests of Odisha since 2012, informed State Government to Assembly.
Replying to a question from Congress MLA Taraprasad Bahinipati, state Forest, Environment and Climate Change Minister P K Amat said in the assembly on Tuesday, as many as six Royal Bengal Tigers died in the last 10 years of which three were killed by poachers.
Of the 49 leopard deaths from 2012-13 to 2021-22, 26 fell prey to poachers, the minister said.
Based on 2018 data, Odisha has 28 tigers and 760 leopards as per the estimation made by the National Tiger Conservation Authority, Amat said.
Regarding the steps being taken to increase the tiger population in the state, the minister said two tiger projects have been set up in Odisha.
Anti-poaching camps have been set up and special squads have been deployed in the forests, he said.
The minister said foot patrolling has been intensified and steps have been taken for the development of meadows to increase the population of herbivores.
Measures have also been taken to contain wildfires in the jungles of Odisha, he said.
