India is beefing up security against possible poaching at tiger reserves as neighbour China gears up to mark 2010 as the Year of the Golden Tiger.

They fear an increase in the demand for tiger parts and derivatives widely used in Chinese traditional medicine as the new year could fuel the illegal trade of the animal from Indian forests.

According to the Chinese zodiac, the year beginning February 14, 2010 and ending February 2, 2011 is dedicated to the Golden Tiger.

The tiger is the third in the cycle of the Chinese zodiac which consists of 12 animal signs.

"As precautionary measures, a series of advisories have been issued to tiger reserves across the country asking the authorities to step up intelligence and keep a tab on poachers and smugglers' activities," Indian newspaper the Deccan Chronicle quoted the environment ministry saying.

India's forest and environment minister Jairam Ramesh has also expressed concern and said the new year posed a "threat to tigers in India".

He has already asked the Chinese authorities for help in curbing the trade in tiger parts.

Meanwhile, the country's famous Jim Corbett National Park has lost its second tiger this month with the discovery of a carcass in the reserve.

Park authorities today said the six-year-old tiger died a natural death and ruled out poaching as the cause.

On January 4, a tigress was found dead in the same park.

India is home to around 1,400 tigers. The global wild population of the endangered animal stands at around 3,000.