'Hence, there is no way radio-collaring of seven tigers in Panna could lead to the disappearance of 30-35 tigers,' Rahmani said.

Moreover, he said that there are several tiger sanctuaries in India where big cats have gone extinct even without the use of radio-collaring.

He pointed out that a similar irresponsible cover-up by the authorities led to the extinction of Bustards in Madhya Pradesh's Karera Sanctuary though the official figures claimed that 16 birds were still left.

He also refuted allegations that excessive use of tranquilizers could have harmed the tigers since experts from the Wildlife Institute of India were involved in the project.

'To blame radio-collaring is an eye-wash that ignored the actual for the decline in tiger population and seeks a quick-fix scapegoat,' Rahmani declared.

Reiterating BNHS's support to radio-collaring, Rahmani emphasized that besides giving valuable insights into the secretive world of big cats in the wild, radio-tracking actually helps curb the menace of poaching since tiger movement is constantly monitored and the ones which stray or are killed are immediately noticed.