Fifty-nine wild cats have been radio collared in various tiger reserves across the country, the government on Tuesday said, noting that information provided by the device was “critical” for conservation of the species.

“While the maximum 35 tigers have been radio collared in various tiger reserves in Madhya Pradesh, 14 have been done in two tiger reserves in Rajasthan,” Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar said in a written reply in Lok Sabha.

He said that the cost of radio collar depends on the purpose for which it is intended to be customised.