Nepal’s Chitwan NP Reports Increase in Tiger Population
Finally, a bit of good news about wild tigers.
In Nepal, the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation (in coordination with the WWF and the National Trust for Nature Conservation) has released an estimated population of critically endangered tigers and snow leopards. And, the tiger population has increased in Chitwan National Park.
According to The Himalayan Times:
It said that there were a total of 121 adult tigers spread over the four protected areas, with the highest number in the Chitwan National Park with 91 tigers. Bardiya National Park, Shuklaphanta Wildlife Reserve and Parsa Wildlife Reserve were estimated to have 18, eight and four tigers respectively. Similarly, the estimated population of snow leopards is 300-400 in the Himalayan region.
The tiger census was conducted from December 2008 - March 2009, using data collected from camera traps and tiger footprints.
The Chitwan National Park tiger census in 2000 determined the population to be around 60 adult tigers.
- » See also: On the Brink of Extinction: Call to Close Cruel and Inhumane Tiger Farms
- » Get EcoLocalizer by RSS or sign up by email.
Unfortunately, the tiger population has decreased in Bardiya and Shuklaphanta.
Note regarding “adult tigers” & “breeding tigers” (added 07/28/09):
The figures announced by the Nepal Government’s Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation (DNPWC) shows the presence of 121 (100 - 194) breeding tigers in the wild within the four protected areas of Nepal.
Tigers under threat for illegal trade
Recently, India’s Panna Tiger Reserve came under fire for losing its entire population of tigers, as a likely result of poaching for the illegal trade in tiger parts in China and other Asian countries. In Vietnam, smugglers were recently caught transporting a frozen baby tiger carcass in a taxi to a buyer in Hanoi.
The seemingly insatiable demand for tiger parts is fueling the rapid decline of wild tiger populations, and is responsible for the unfortunate growth of ‘tiger farms’ (commercial breeding of tigers for slaughter) in China.
The current estimate of wild tigers worldwide is approximately 4,000.
Image source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/publicdomainphotos/ / CC BY 2.0
This attempt to compute the tiger population is excellent however there is some confusion in the reports:
Adult tigers or breeding tigers - the two are distinct groups, the latter a subset of th former. It is not clear which element they have counted and how.
Thank you, Marcus, for your comment. I added a notation today which I hope is helpful.
- Rhishja