The Maharashtra government informed the State Legislative Council that out of the 166 tiger deaths recorded in India in 2025, 41 occurred in the state. Questions raised by Independent MLC Satyajeet Tambe and others prompted State Forest Minister Ganesh Naik to reveal that a tiger cub was found dead on January 7, 2026, due to a tiger fight, while another cub’s death seemed natural.
Regular patrolling in sensitive areas is conducted by the Special Tiger Protection Force, with hunting activities monitored through dog squads. Field staff are equipped with mobiles using the M-Stripes system to track suspicious movements. Strategies for tiger conservation are discussed in District Level Tiger Committee meetings.
Informers at the range level gather intelligence on illegal poachers, with action taken accordingly. The state has established a Wildlife Crime Cell and a Cyber Cell to combat poaching incidents. Surveillance measures include camera traps at critical locations, regular water body inspections, and fortnightly tracking programs for tigers and leopards.
Protection huts and observation towers have been set up in key forest locations to enhance monitoring. The government also conducts inspections of nomadic settlements near villages and maintains vigilance through metal detectors to prevent hunting traps near water sources.
