Panna National Park, one of India’s tiger reserves, no longer supports tigers, reports BBC News.
State Minister of Forests Rajendra Shukla said a recent survey found the reserve no longer has any tigers. Three years ago it had 24.
BBC reports Panna is the second tiger reserve in India where the tiger population has fallen to zero. Sariska in Rajasthan was the first.
Camera trap shot of a tiger in India’s Nagarahole National Park. Photo by U. Karanth/Wildlife Conservation Society. |
Experts say commercial poaching of tigers for traditional medicines is likely behind the declines.
India last year revised downward its estimated number of tigers from 3,500 to 1,400. Habitat loss and hunting have taken a heavy toll on the big cat species, reducing India’s population from 40,000 a century ago.
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