Living In Harmony With Wildlife

A considerable rise in the number of tiger population within a short period is one of the key success stories Nepal now shares with the global community. The tiger census conducted in 2022 shows that the country is home to 355 Bengal Tigers. In 2010, the number of tigers stood at just 121. These figures are a clear indication that the nation’s tiger population has almost tripled over the past 12 years or so. Nepal is among the 13 tiger-range countries. In the Tiger Summit held in St. Petersburg of Russia in 2010, these nations had expressed their commitment to doubling their tiger population by 2022. However, Nepal has been able to make such an exceptional accomplishment even amidst a myriad of challenges ranging from habitat management to mobilisation of communities. 

The tiger-range nations had realised the need to do something concrete to increase the number of tigers with the numbers falling to an all-time low of 3,200 in 2010 from around 100,000 a century ago. 

Wildlife corridors

Conservationists say that Nepal has been successful in its efforts to recover the tiger population through controlling poaching, expanding national parks and other conservation areas and increasing people’s participation. The country has also created wildlife corridors with neighbouring India. These corridors have proved to be helpful increasing the tiger population. The wild cats are found commuting back and forth between the two countries along these corridors. 

Five protected areas in Nepal -- Chitwan National Park (CNP), Bardiya National Park, Parsa National Park, Shuklaphanta National Park and Banke National Park—are home to this graceful wildlife species. The latest tiger census indicated that Chitwan, Bardiya, Parsa, Shuklaphanta and Banke possess 128, 125, 41, 36 and 25 wild cats, respectively. With an increase in the local people’s participation in tiger conservation efforts, the number of this rare but graceful wildlife is anticipated to rise steadily even in the years to come. 

Other tiger-range countries, including India and Bhutan, too, have made a lot of progress in terms of tiger conservation. India now possesses a total of 3,682 tigers. Reports show that the number of tigers in India accounts for about 75 per cent of the world’s total wild tiger population. Likewise, Bhutan possesses around 131 tigers at present. This figure represents a 27 per cent increase as compared to the tiger number counted in 2015. Other Asian countries -- China, Russia, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Laos—are also home to Bengal Tigers. These nations have also been making every endeavour possible to increase their tiger population. However, wild tigers are mostly found in Asia. As this is the world’s most densely populated continent, human activities pose threats to the existence of tigers.

The International Tiger Day is marked on July 29 every year. The event was created by the St. Petersburg Tiger Summit in order to promote a global system for protecting the natural habitats of tigers and creating public awareness and support for tiger conservation issues. 

Being a natural guardian of forests, tigers play a crucial role in maintaining a balance in the environment. In fact, protecting a tiger is protecting its home range that covers up to 10,000 hectares of forests. And these forests are vital for providing humans with clear air, fresh water, food and medicine. If countries implement their tiger conservation initiatives effectively, the population of this species is sure to keep going up. This is because tigers are exceedingly adaptable and can survive even in extreme temperatures. They can endure temperatures ranging from -40 degrees Celsius to 40 degrees Celsius. As predators, they help prevent over-grazing by limiting herbivore numbers and maintain ecological integrity.

However, habitat degradation and loss are the major threats facing tigers. Despite putting a ban on poaching of tigers in all tiger-range nations, demand for tiger parts has continued to trigger the illegal trade.

The people living in the vicinity of the aforementioned national parks have benefitted from wildlife tourism activities. With numerous protected areas having uncommon wildlife species, including tigers and one-horned rhinos, Nepal has been a popular destination among tourists interested in jungle safari. Since the inception of the CNP in the early 1970s, Chitwan has been an important destination among wildlife lovers. They visit there to experience the adventure of jungle safari and sight wildlife species, especially tigers. Although tigers can now be sighted at Chitwan, Bardiya and Parsa more frequently than in the past due to a rapid growth in their numbers, jungle safari guides still say that only ‘lucky’ visitors can see them.    

No doubt, eco-tourism activities have been gaining popularity among domestic as well as foreign visitors in Banke and Shuklaphanta as well. The protracted COVID-19 pandemic had hit the tourism business hard. However, tourism activities even in the protected areas have begun resuming since the arrival of 2022. With the recovery of tourism, the locals’ jobs and other livelihood sources have been restored. But because tourism in Nepal is seasonal, the locals have to opt for other occupations like agriculture to eke out a living.  

Human-tiger conflict

But what is annoying is that the country has witnessed more incidences of human-tiger conflict together with the surge in tiger population. For the past four years, scores of tiger attacks have been recorded with dozens of human casualties. Such attacks took place when people were in jungles to collect firewood, graze livestock and search for food. The wild beasts have also killed many livestock. Similarly, there has been a huge increase in electrocution of tigers. In such a situation, it is necessary for the communities to learn to co-exist in harmony with wildlife. It is notable that the federal government has announced to mobilise Rs. 1 billion under its ‘Prime Minister Tiger Conservation and Livelihood Programme’ for the people living close to the tiger habitats. 

(The author is a deputy executive editor of this daily.)