India has 50 tiger habitats nationwide. (photo: timesofindia)

It’s the highest number of tiger deaths per year since the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) began compiling data in 2012. In 2016 it reported 121 tiger deaths.

India is home to around 75% of the world’s tigers. It is believed there were around 40,000 tigers at the time of independence in 1947 but hunting and habitat loss has slashed the population to dangerously low levels.

Human beings are an important factor encroaching on the tiger's habitat. The Indian government has tried to manage tiger population and reserved 50 areas across the country for the "king of the jungle" to reside.