KATHMANDU, July 29: Ministry of Forest and Environment is observing the World Tiger Day today by organizing several programs in Kohalpur. The ministry is marking the day in Banke National Park this time as per the plan to organize a central event nearby the habitat of tigers.
Bishnu Prasad Shrestha, Spokesperson of Department of National Park and Wildlife Protection, informed that various programs are to be organized amidst participation from all sides. He also shared that the Department is organizing local or field level program in Chitwan, Parsa, Bardiya and Shuklaphnata national park which are also the habitat of the jungle cat.
Nepal likely to become first country to double tiger population
The spotted tiger is available in 13 different countries of the world. The 2010 Global Conference held in Russia had made a strong commitment to double the population of tigers in 13 countries by 2022. In 2010, Nepal had also pledged to increase the tiger's population to 250 from then 121. "We are closer to meet the target of doubling tiger population". Shrestha informed. The ministry had made public the results of the updated National Tiger Census in 2018.
According to the census, the tiger population has reached 235 in Nepal. Out of them Chitwan National Park has 93 tigers followed by Bardiya National Park (87), Banke National Park (21), Parsa National Park (18) and Shuklaphanta National Park and buffer zone area (16).
The Department had undertaken tiger census from Parsa to Kanchanpur from 1 December 2017 to 3 April 2018 with the use of a camera.
Nepal has been celebrating the Tiger Day and also conducting tiger census at a national level since 2067 BS. According to the Department's data, Nepal had 98 tigers in 1995 AD, 109 in 2000 AD, 126 in 2005, 121 in 2009 and 198 in 2013. The 2016 global census showed that India had the highest number of tiger (2,226). The global population of tiger now is 3,890.
