The Nepal Weekly 
August 2, 2022
Nepal’s tiger population has almost tripled in the last 12 years, from a low count of 121 in 2009 to an impressive 355, according to the latest census unveiled by Nepal Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba on Friday, July 29, the International Tiger Day.
“Nepal’s tiger population has reached 355,” announced Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, who was at the event organized in Kathmandu to celebrate the Global Tiger Day – July 29. Around 500 people including conservationists, community leaders, media and government agencies attended the event. Nepal government has pulled off this remarkable feat through rigorous conservation efforts and effective crackdown on poaching, said Deuba said at the function.
“This success was possible due to the unwavering political will of the Government of Nepal, contributions of many stakeholders including enforcement agencies and conservation partners, but most of all the communities that live alongside tigers,” remarked Dr. Pem Narayan Kandel, Secretary, Ministry of Forests and Environment. “A key challenge moving forward is to ensure cohabitation between people and nature, as well as to reconcile the country’s growth aspirations with the need to keep nature secure.”
Nepal has successfully achieved its target of doubling its tiger population by 2022, as per its commitment, along with 12 other tiger range countries, during the first tiger summit held in 2010 in St. Petersburg.
Nepal, thus becomes the first of the 13 tiger range countries to release its tiger population figures ahead of the next summit, which is slated for September this year in Vladivostok, Russia.
The fourth national tiger and prey survey carried out by Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation in association with World Wildlife Fund (WWF) has found 355 adult tigers in the five protected areas of Nepal.
Out of 23 districts in which tiger survey was conducted tiger was reported in 16 districts across the country.
According to the survey, Nepal has 355 tigers, including 41 in and around Parsa National Park, 128 in and around Chitwan National Park and forest area, 25 in and around Banke National Park, 125 in and around Bardiya National Park and 36 in Shuklaphanta National Park area.
Globally, tigers are found in the wild only in 13 Asian countries including Nepal, India, China, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, Russia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Indonesia, Vietnam and Thailand. Nepal government has been conducting nationwide assessment of status of tigers and pray since 2009. According to the official data, Nepal’s tiger population reached 121 in 2009, touched 198 in 2013 and then swelled to 235 by 2018.
