Kathmandu, November 19
The Nepal tiger census will be kicking off on December 5.
The national event to be led by the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation will be launched from the Chitwan National Park (CNP).
Five national parks across the country currently serve as habitats for this endangered animal. The census will cover Chitwan, Bardiya, Parsa, Shuklaphanta and Banke national parks and adjoining forests.
For the census, the parks will be divided into three complexes: Chitwan and Parsa (first complex), Banke and Bardiya (second) and Shuklaphanta and nearby Laljhandai area (third).
According to CNP Chief Conservation Officer, Hari Bhadra Acharya, this season is considered a good time for tiger census as they are more visible in winter than during other seasons.
Acharya says the officials have targeted to complete the tiger counting by mid-January, 2022.
For the census, a pair of cameras will be fixed each four kilometres for at least two weeks to track the animal.
The last census took place in 2018. A total of 235 tigers were found in Nepal then, with the most being found in Chitwan (93) followed by Bardiya (87), Banke (21), Parsa (18) and Shuklaphanta (16).
It is estimated that the number has risen.
Nepal conducts the tiger census every four years.
