200 big cats poached in 20 years, RTI reveals central India as hotspot

DEHRADUN: As many as 200 big cats were poached across India between 2005 and Dec 2025, with central India emerging as a major hotspot, according to a Right to Information reply from Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) under the ministry of environment, forest and climate change.

The data showed that 59 of the total poaching cases occurred in central Indian habitats. Statewise figures shared by WCCB indicated that the highest number of tiger poaching cases were recorded in Madhya Pradesh (36), followed by Uttar Pradesh (14), Karnataka (13), Maharashtra (nine), Assam (six), Uttarakhand and Kerala (four each) and Tamil Nadu, Chhattisgarh and Andhra Pradesh (three each).


Wildlife experts linked the killings to international demand for body parts.

Dr YV Jhala, International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) expert on big cats and former senior scientist and dean of Wildlife Institute of India, said, “These numbers are concerning since only a small portion of poached tigers and leopards are seized by authorities. Poaching remains lucrative despite stringent laws when there is a high-price market for parts and products of big cats. This demand continues to exist in neighbouring countries such as China and South East Asian nations.”

Giving perspective to the data, Jhala added, “The data indicates seizures in these states, not the actual quantum of poaching, as stricter enforcement results in more recoveries. We need to evaluate seizure numbers in the context of tiger population trends and then infer the consequences of poaching. Field understanding shows that Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Odisha and North Eastern states are hotspots of poaching-driven declines of large cats.”

India is home to around 3,600 tigers, accounting for nearly 75% of the global tiger population, as per the latest tiger estimation by ministry of environment, forest and climate change through Wildlife Institute of India and National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA). The country has around 13,800 leopards across tiger range forests, according to another assessment.

The RTI data showed that 92 leopards were poached during the same period. As per WCCB records, the highest number of leopard poaching cases were registered in Himachal Pradesh, 21, followed by Andhra Pradesh, eight, Jammu and Kashmir, six, Punjab, five, Uttar Pradesh, five, Uttarakhand, five, Madhya Pradesh, five, and Tamil Nadu, five.

Nearly 35% of leopard poaching cases occurred in Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir and Uttarakhand. Experts said this pattern indicated a possible rise in human-wildlife conflict linked to fragmentation of forest stretches, encroached wildlife corridors and increasing vehicular and human movement near big cat habitats.

The activist who obtained the RTI information, Amit Gupta, said, “The data shows that while tiger poaching remains concentrated in central India, leopard poaching is more widespread across the country, particularly in Himalayan states like Himachal Pradesh.”