Nepal’s tiger conservation impressive with tripling of population

Tigers are among the most majestic creatures in the animal kingdom. From the white tiger and the Royal Bengal tiger to the Siberian tiger, these wild cats encompass various species, each ruling their habitat with pride. They prey on other animals and help maintain a balance in the ecosystem. In their absence, the prey population can blow up and in turn, harm the environment. However, factors such as climate change, illegal wildlife trade, and habitat loss have caused the tiger population to shrink rapidly.

To raise awareness about the conservation of this endangered species, July 29 is observed as International Tiger Day. The day is also known as Global Tiger Day and is observed to raise awareness about tiger conservation and promote protection of tiger habitats.

International Tiger Day was first announced in 2010 at the Tiger Summit in St Petersburg, Russia. On this occasion, the 13 tiger range countries (Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Russia, Thailand and Vietnam), came together to create Tx2, the global goal to double the number of wild tigers by the year 2022.

Nepal celebrated a significant milestone in tiger conservation by nearly tripling its tiger population since 2010 from 121 to 355 in 2022, yet the journey is far from over. Despite the country making remarkable success in increasing the tiger population, challenges persist in habitat management and mitigating human-tiger conflict.

The world marked International Tiger Day 2024 along with Nepal today under the theme “Human-Tiger Coexistence, A Pathway to Prosperity” which highlighted the urgent need to address these challenges. The theme underscores urgent action for mitigating human-tiger conflicts, managing prey-based habitats effectively, and constructing safe infrastructure that does not harm these majestic creatures, ensuring they can be handed over safely to future generations.

A study done by the National Trust for Nature Conservation (NTNC) and the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation (DNPWC) in 2018 revealed that Chitwan National Park could support around 125 tigers. This estimation was based on a prey density survey indicating a sufficient population of key prey species such as spotted deer, sambar deer, and wild boar. Another research conducted by WWF Nepal in collaboration with DNPWC in Bardiya National Park in 2019 showed that the park has a variable carrying capacity and can house around 70 individuals. Similarly, a study conducted by NTNC in 2020 in Parsa National Park found that the park could support up to 40 tigers. All the studies were conducted by utilizing camera traps and prey density assessments to determine the suitable habitat areas and prey species population.

According to the latest Tiger Census in 2022, Chitwan National Park (CNP) houses 128 tigers, Bardiya National Park (BNP) has 125, Banke National Park has 25, Shuklaphanta National Park has 36 and Parsa National Park has 41.

The tiger population has not yet reached the optimum carrying capacity. According to research conducted by DNPWC, there are currently seven tigers per 100 square kilometers, but this area could support up to 14 tigers if the prey species are healthy.