Nepal now home to 5 per cent of world tiger population

The tiger population grew after tiger census was conducted in the Chure area of Chitawan National Park, which was skipped during last year's census, according to Coordinator of the Tiger census 2010 Bivash Pandav, an Indian national, who is working under World Wildlife Fund Nepal office in Kathmandu.

The number of adult tiger has reached 155 in Nepal's forests which is an increase of 28 per cent, announced Gopal Prasad Upadhyaya, director general of Department of National Park's and Wildlife Conservation.

Though this not an increase in tiger population in actual term, but the number has also not declined in the region, he said. In Chitawan National Park located in central Nepal alone, 125 tigers were recorded.

Last year only 91 tigers were found when the census was carried out only in the lowland of the tiger reserve.

The total adult tiger population of 155 (124 to 229) was arrived at after adding other tiger populations from Bardia, Shuklaphanta and Parsa reserves.The census was done through the latest process of camera trapping which required 3,582 human days and 170 elephant days, according to experts at WWF Nepal.

The monitoring of tiger was done from December 7, 2009 to March 22, 2010. As per the census it is estimated that the tiger area of Nepal has 6.53 adult tigers in 100 km area, which is a good population for breeding purposes, say experts.

WWF Nepal has provided Nepal government with USD 51,351 to carry out the tiger census.  This means Nepal is home to nearly 5 per cent of tiger in the wild worldwide which is estimated to be 3,200.

There are 13 tiger range countries in the world including Nepal, India, China and Myanmar. The tiger range countries have been working together to conserve the endangered wild animal tiger, to make the number double or around 7,000 in next Year for Tiger 2022.

 Nepal government is also committed to double the tiger population to 250 by the year 2022, said Minister for Forest Dipak Bohara. The government is committed to control poaching, increase tiger habitat and prey animals with a view to double the tiger population in the next 12 years, he said.

Nepal has significant place in the field of conservation in the world and we want to maintain that, he said. As an efforts to intensify the conservation efforts Nepal government has recently announced Banke National Park near Bardia National Park in the western Nepal, he said.

The government is also working to establish two new conservation areas Gaurishanker Conservation Area and Apinapa Conservation Area, he added.Nepal has allocated its 24 per cent land area as protected areas for the conservation of biodiversity.

Today Nepal also observed the first International Tiger Conservation Day, July 29, by organising a rally in Kathmandu which was participated in by conservationists, government officials, school students, journalists.

The rally with the slogan "Let's conserve jungle cat", "Stop illegal trade in animal parts" and "Lets cooperate for conserving tiger" led by Forest Minister Dipak Bohara started from Nepal Tourism Board and went round the city with a view to generate awareness about conservation.