A nationwide census of tiger continues across the country. The survey started from November 30 in Chitwan National Park (CNP) and Parsa National Park (PNP), while it will begin from December 16 in Bardiya National Park (BNP), Banke National Park (BNP) and Shuklaphanta National Park (SNP).
The areas sheltering tigers have been divided into three categories for the census, while a total of 37 tamed elephants have been used (15 for CNP, seven for the PNP, seven for SNP, and four each for Banke national park and Bardiya national park), said the Department of National Park and Wildlife Conservation.
Likewise, the total 1,200 camera traps have been used to track the movement of tigers, it added. Suunto compass and rangefinder have also been used.
The Department estimates 250 employees and Rs 32 million expenditure for the project that will last the total 66 days.
A conference of 13 heads of the nation held at Saint Petersburg of Russia during the government-led by the then Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal in 2010 had decided to carry out census of tigers in every five years.
Nepal has been protecting the tigers as per the conference's decision of increasing the number of tigers double the present tiger population by 2020.
A total of 121 tigers were recorded in 2009 in Nepal which reached 198 in 2013. Twelve tigers were recorded at Chitwan National Park, 50 at Bardiya National Park, four at Banke National Park, seven at Parsa National Park and 17 at Shuklaphanta National Park in 2013. The population of tigers was increased by 65 percent in 2013 as compared to 2009. There are around 4,000 tigers in the world. Tiger is found in Nepal, India, China, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, North Korea, Russia, Thailand and Vietnam.
The highest number of the tiger is found in India.
