Six Royal Bengal Tigers, 49 leopards died in Odisha in last 10 years: Minister

Bhubaneswar: Odisha Forest Minister Pradip Amat informed the Assembly on Tuesday that as many as six Royal Bengal Tigers died in the last 10 years.

In a written reply to an unstarred question by Congress leader Taraprasad Bahinipati, Minister Amat said as per the 2018 data, Odisha has 28 tigers and among those six cats three died from poaching.

Additionally, the minister said that the State reported 49 leopard deaths. Of them, 29 were poached.

As per the 2018 data, Odisha has 760 leopards, the Minister informed.

Regarding the steps being taken to increase the tiger population in the State’s jungle, the Minister said two tiger projects have been set up in the State. Besides this, anti-poaching camps have been set up and special squads have been deployed in the forest.

While foot patrolling has been intensified, steps for the development of meadows to increase the population of herbivorous and control wildfires have been taken, added the Minister.