Tiger poaching in India has seriously impacted the probability of survival of tigers in India. Less than 1,700 wild tigers now survive compared with 100,000 at the turn of the 20th century. This abrupt decimation in population count is due to the rampant  poaching in the absence of adequate punishments. Most of the tiger parts end up in China where a single skin can sell for Rs. 6.5 million.

For poachers there has been about a four percent conviction rate. Sansar Chand, the notorious Tiger poacher acknowledged to selling 470 tiger skins and 2,130 leopard skins to just four clients from Nepal and Tibet. 

A potent way to stop poaching is to raise the quantum of punishment to death sentence which would act as a strong deterrent for the fearless poachers. I urge the Government of India to amend the anti poaching laws to include death penalty for poaching wild life not limited to just Tigers.