Percentage increase in Nepal’s tiger numbers in past four years, Pg8

Key Highlights:

• Nepal's wild tiger population has increased by approximately 20% in the past four years, reaching an estimated 429 individuals.
• This marks a significant conservation achievement, despite ongoing challenges posed by human-wildlife conflict.
• Nepal has more than tripled its tiger numbers since 2009, when the population stood at 121, successfully achieving the global Tx2 goal ahead of the 2022 target.
• The latest census, conducted using camera traps, covers protected areas within the Terai Arc Landscape.

Detailed Insights:

• The Tx2 goal was an ambitious global commitment made in 2010 at the St. Petersburg Tiger Summit by 13 tiger range countries to double their wild tiger populations by 2022.
• Nepal conducts a nationwide tiger census approximately every four years, with recorded populations of 121 in 2009, 198 in 2013, 235 in 2018, 355 in 2022, and now 429.
• This success is attributed to robust conservation strategies, including stringent anti-poaching measures, habitat protection, prey base management, and active community engagement.
• The Terai Arc Landscape (TAL) is a critical trans-boundary conservation area spanning Nepal and India, connecting 16 protected areas and facilitating tiger dispersal.
• Despite conservation successes, human-tiger conflict remains a significant concern, leading to human fatalities and livestock depredation, particularly in buffer zones.
• Conservation efforts involve working closely with local communities, implementing compensation schemes for livestock losses, and establishing predator-proof enclosures.
• The Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation leads these initiatives in Nepal, supported by international organizations like WWF and IUCN.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Tx2 Goal: A global initiative launched in 2010 to double the world's wild tiger population by 2022.
• Terai Arc Landscape (TAL): A trans-boundary region of forests and grasslands in the Himalayan foothills of Nepal and India, crucial for tiger habitat and connectivity.
• Human-Wildlife Conflict: Negative interactions between humans and wild animals, often resulting from habitat loss, fragmentation, and increased wildlife populations.
• Global Tiger Forum (GTF): An intergovernmental organization established in 1993 to promote tiger conservation strategies and international cooperation among tiger range countries.