Sauraha: A nationwide tiger census has officially commenced in Nepal, marked by a formal inaugural ceremony in Sauraha, Chitwan. This significant effort, conducted every four years, is spearheaded by the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation (DNPWC) under the Ministry of Forests and Environment, in collaboration with the Department of Forests and Land Conservation.
According to National News Agency Nepal, the National Trust for Nature Conservation (NTNC), World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Nepal, and the Geological Society of Nepal are providing technical and logistical support for the census. The tiger count is being conducted with assistance from the Nepali Army, Buffer Zone, and Community Forest Users’ Committees. The DNPWC anticipates that the census will conclude within two and a half to three months, utilizing the expertise of 25 technical personnel nationwide.
DNPWC Director General Buddi Sagar Paudel announced the deployment of 1,100 advanced camera traps across tiger habitats. The tiger population will be estimated through photographic captures. The project has an estimated budget of approximately Rs 30 million, covering human resource mobilization, memory card management, tents, sleeping bags, and other logistical needs. The camera traps, procured earlier at around Rs 35,000 each, are instrumental in this systematic tiger counting effort initiated in 2009.
In 2009, Nepal recorded 121 tigers, with subsequent counts carried out every four years. The Tiger Conservation Action Plan includes censuses conducted in 2013, 2018, and 2022, with the current census preparing for 2026. Observing Tiger Day since 2067 BS, Nepal has consistently conducted nationwide tiger population counts every four years.
The tiger population in Nepal was 98 in 1995, 109 in 2000, 126 in 2005, 121 in 2009, 198 in 2013, and 235 in 2018. To mitigate human-tiger conflict, alternative livelihoods for communities near forests are suggested, aiming to reduce forest dependency and alter locals’ attitudes toward wildlife.
Currently, 18 problematic tigers are caged across the country due to increased conflicts in national parks and conservation areas. These include five in the central zoo in Jawalakhel, Lalitpur, seven in Chitwan National Park, four in Bardia National Park, and one each in Banke and Parsa National Parks. The government incurs significant annual costs for the feeding, care, and management of these tigers.
Globally, the tiger population has risen to 5,357. India leads with 3,167 tigers, followed by Russia with 750, Indonesia with 400, and Nepal with 355. Other countries like Thailand, Bhutan, Malaysia, and Bangladesh also contribute to the global count, while Myanmar, China, Vietnam, and Laos have smaller populations.