Tiger counting starts in Bardiya National Park

भिडियो हेर्न तलको बक्सभित्र किल्क गर्नुहोस

Tiger counting through automatic camera has started four days ago at the Bardiya National Park. Automatic cameras have been installed in various 297 locations in the park area for the purpose, according to chief conservation officer at the park, Ramesh Thapa. Before this tigers would be counted with the help of their droppings.

Officials said this time they will use both the droppings and cameras for ascertaining the big cat numbers. “Studying DNA from the droppings and capturing pictures of tiger from camera will provide more authetic numbers,” technicians involved in the counting said.

The counting is being conducted in coordiation among the Bardiya National Park, Department of Wildlife Conservation, Department of Forests, World Wildlife Fund for Nature, and National Natural Trust for Nature Conservation. Twenty-five technicians and five assistants are involved. British ambassador to Nepal Richard Morris had inaugurated the counting by installing an automatic camera.

Park officials said their Indian counterparts across the border are also counting tigers in park areas on their side. They said the count is more effective when carried out simultaneously on the both sides of the border as tiger movement keeps taking place along the biological corridor between the two countries, according to Thapa.

He said both Nepali and Indian parks are using the same technique for counting tigers.

With the increment in tiger numbers, counting of prey species has also become important officials said. “So, we started it together,” said Thapa.

In 2010 there were 155 tigers in Nepal, whereas in 2012 the number increased to 176. The last tiger census put the tiger numbers at 198. According to the last count, there were 50 tigers in Bardiya National Park alone. According to latest figures, there are a total of 1008 tigers in India.

The 13 countries where tigers are found have pledged to double the tiger numbers by the year 2022. According to Thapa, destruction of natural habitat, increase in poaching and illegal trade in tiger parts have posed as major challenges to tiger conservation.