Chitwan, March 24
As Nepal’s tiger population rises, the need to expand their habitat has become increasingly urgent.
While tigers inhabit national parks, buffer zones, and forest areas, habitat shrinkage has emerged as a significant challenge in recent years due to the growing population. Speaking at an interaction program organized by Chitwan National Park today, Haribhadra Acharya, senior ecologist at the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation, emphasized the need for habitat expansion.
“The tiger population has been increasing over the last five years, highlighting the need for more habitat,” Acharya said. He suggested that open zoos could serve as a conservation measure while also generating income.
Nepal’s tiger population has risen from 121 in 2009 to 355 in 2022, with 198 recorded in 2013 and 253 in 2018. Acharya noted that the habitat area has decreased by 93% due to the growing number of tigers.
Nepal’s conservation efforts have driven the tiger population increase, and Acharya estimates that the country’s forests can accommodate around 500 tigers, with 404 fitting within core park areas.
Tigers primarily prey on deer, but they also hunt monkeys and domestic animals. A century ago, there were about 100,000 tigers worldwide, but the number has now declined to approximately 5,000.
