Record 63pc rise in tiger population in four years

KATHMANDU, JUL 30 -
Nepal witnessed a record 63 percent growth in the tiger population in the last four years. A ‘scientific’ census conducted by the government in the last five moths shows the population of the endangered animals in Nepal shoot up from the 121 in 2009 to 198 this year.

Experts attribute this growth to proper habitat management, significant increase in prey species and controlled poaching.

The first ever nationwide census used camera trapping and highly sophisticated software, ‘SPACE CAP’ to track each individual tiger from its distinct stripe pattern and facial attributes captured in thousands of still photos and videos. This technology is one of the trusted ways to count tiger s with precision as it analyses the pattern of their stripes, which, according to experts, is always different  from one tiger to another.

“This is the most accurate data we ever gathered for our tiger s so far,” said Maheshwor Dhakal, ecologist and under-secretary at the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation (DNPWC). He was making public the census report at a press conference here on Monday, the day the world marked the 4th International Tiger Day.

The Chitwan National Park (CNP), the country’s largest wild reserve for tiger s, recorded 120 big cats, while it hosted 91 in 2009. The Bardiya National Park (BNP) recorded 50, a record high number in the park’s history. In 2009, there were 18 tiger s in the BNP. The significant rise in the number of tiger s in the BNP contributed to the overall rise in the national tiger numbers, experts said. Other tiger habitats, namely Shukhlaphanta Wildlife Reserve (SWR), Parsa Wildlife Reserve and Banke National Park, recorded 17, seven and five tiger s respectively. The count that covered a line transect of 1,659 km and occupancy area of 2,319 km from East to West and covering five protected areas of the country, saw a stable rise in the numbers in Chitwan, while the growth is promising in the SWR, Parsa and Banke for the coming years, the report said.

Nepal became the pioneer country in studying this magnificent species through “Tiger Ecology Project” funded by Smithsonian Institute and World Wildlife Fund US in 1973, and since then various monitoring and counts have been carried out in fragmented areas and at different intervals, the report added.

The efficient law and enforcement at the local level, made possible with the collaboration of bodies concerned, including the park management, Nepal Army, Nepal Police and anti-poaching units helped revive the tiger population, it said.

Anti-poaching teams formed at the local level in Bardiya played a vital role in combating poaching of tiger and its prey such as barking deer, sambar, hogdeer, swamp deer and wild boar, conservation director at WWF Nepal Ghana Shyam Gurung said. “This is a great achievement for all conservationists working in the sector. If the present trend is maintained, hopefully, we will be able to achieve our aim of doubling the tiger population by 2022 ahead of the expected time,” he said. Gurung said the rise in the number of the tiger s cannot be attributed to the cross-border movement of the animals along the Nepal-India border as the census was conducted simultaneously in both the countries.

However, the report says retaining the present population, if not keeping the growth momentum going, is a major challenge.

The population is at the ‘saturation level,’ said ecologist Dhakal, as the increased density of the tiger population will lead to inter-species conflict, thus increasing chances of fatality. “It is very unlikely that the current growth rate will be sustained in the next four or five years.”

The increase in the tiger numbers is also considered a threat to humans. “If there is a steady rise in the tiger population without any substantive expansion of their habitat and prey species, the animals could come out to human settlements, triggering a human-wildlife conflict,” said director general at the DNPWC Megh Bahadur Pandey.

The estimated tiger population worldwide is between 3,000-3,200 in 13 tiger range countries including Nepal. India holds the largest Royal Bengal tiger population of around 1,700. Similarly, of the eight sub-species of tiger s, Bali, Javan and Caspian tiger s are already extinct, while the South Cina tiger is on the verge of extinction.

Upward, Ho!

•    Tiger population in Nepal shot up from 121 in the year 2009 to 198 this year

•    Experts attribute the growth to proper habitat management, increase in prey species and controlled poaching

•    First ever nationwide census used camera trapping and highly sophisticated software to track each individual tiger from its distinct stripe pattern and facial attributes

•    Chitwan National Park recorded 120 big cats, while it hosted 91 of them in 2009

•    Bardiya National Park recorded 50, up from 18 in the year 2009

•    Shukhlaphanta Wildlife Reserve now has 17 tiger s, Parsa Wildlife Reserve seven, and Banke National Park five

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