Nepal has emerged as a global leader in tiger conservation, nearly tripling its Bengal tiger population since 2009. The country now boasts 355 tigers, a significant increase from just 121 over a decade ago.
This achievement positions Nepal as the only one of the 13 tiger-range countries to fulfill its commitment made at the 2010 World Tiger Summit in St. Petersburg to double its wild tiger population.
The government’s strong involvement and stringent anti-poaching policies have been critical to this success. Abishek Harihar, deputy director of the tiger program at conservation group Panthera, emphasized the importance of these measures.
Since the 1970s, Nepal has established five national parks that house the majority of its tiger population, protected by park patrols and military forces. This has not only safeguarded tigers but also other endangered species like rhinos and elephants.
Advanced technologies, such as camera traps, have enhanced monitoring efforts, leading to a real increase in tiger births, according to Harihar.
However, the rising tiger population has led to increasing human-wildlife conflicts. Between July 2021 and July 2022, 16 human fatalities were reported due to tiger attacks in Chitwan National Park, a sharp rise from 10 deaths in the previous five years.
Babu Ram Lamichhane, a biologist from the National Trust of Nature Conservation, noted that the tigers involved in these attacks often lack territory or are in poor health, forcing them to seek easy prey in populated areas.
This situation has sparked protests, such as roadblocks in Bardiya following a tiger attack on a 41-year-old woman. Kumar Paudel, director of Greenhood Nepal, expressed concern over the balance between tiger conservation and community safety.
Experts, including Kanchan Thapa from WWF-Nepal, stress the need to provide sustainable livelihood alternatives to communities reliant on forest resources, urging the government to focus on options that reduce forest dependency.
While Nepal's tiger conservation success is commendable and recognized globally, it also highlights the urgent need for comprehensive strategies that ensure local community safety. Paudel emphasized, 'The main issue is the interaction between humans and tigers,' underscoring the social costs of conservation efforts.