Bhubaneswar: As many as 34 leopards and three Royal Bengal Tigers have died in the State in last five years, informed Odisha Forest, Environment and Climate Change Minister Ganesh Ram Singhkhuntia in the Assembly today. 

Responding to a query by Congress MLA Tara Prasad Bahinipati on the number of tiger deaths in last five years, their cause of death and the current state of the large cats in Odisha, Singhkhuntia said as many as 34 leopards and three Royal Bengal Tigers have died in various forests in the State between 2019-20 and 2024-25. Out of the 34 leopards reported from the State, 17 were killed by poachers, three were electrocuted after coming in contact with live wire, one in railway accident, three in accidental hits by vehicles, four died a natural death and three due to unidentified reasons. 

Out of the three Royal Bengal Tiger deaths in the corresponding period, one was due to poaching, one death due to infighting and one due to unspecified reasons

The Forest Minister further informed that as per All Odisha Tiger Estimation Report, there are currently 30 Royal Bengal Tigers in the State. As per All Odisha Leopard Estimation Report 2024, there are 696 leopards in the State, he added.

Earlier, PCCF Wildlife Susanta Nanda had stated that though targeted killing of leopards were very few, most of the large cats died in electrocution traps laid out by poachers to kill wild boar.