World Tiger Day: Nepal’s target to double its population almost near

KATHMANDU, July 29: Nepal’s target of doubling the population of tiger is almost fulfilled.

Nepal had also pledged to increase tiger’s population to 250 from 121 in 2010.

According to the National Tiger Census 2018, the population of tiger in Nepal has reached 235. Out of them Chitwan National Park has 93 tigers followed by Bardiya National Park (87), Banke National Park (21), Parsa National Park (18) and Shuklaphanta National Park and buffer zone area (16).

The tiger census was conducted from Parsa to Kanchanpur from 1 December 2017 to 3 April 2018 with the use of the camera.

“We are closer to meet the target of doubling tiger population,” said Bishnu Prasad Shrestha, Spokesperson of Department of National Park and Wildlife Protection.

“On the occasion of World Tiger Day, the department is organizing local or field level program in Chitwan, Parsa, Bardiya and Shuklaphnata national park which are also the habitat of the jungle cat.”

Nepal has been celebrating the Tiger Day and also conducting tiger census at the national level since 2067 BS.

The tiger is available in 13 different countries of the world. The 2010 Global Conference held in Russia had made a strong commitment to double the population of tigers in 13 countries by 2022.

According to the Department’s data, Nepal had 98 tigers in 1995 AD, 109 in 2000 AD, 126 in 2005, 121 in 2009 and 198 in 2013.

The 2016 global census showed that India had the highest number of tiger (2,226).

The global population of tiger now is 3,890.