'Caged tiger reminds me of my prison life'

Lalitpur, July 30: Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli often tends to give a lengthy speech whenever he gets a public forum. But on Monday, he did not make a long speech while attending a programme organised on the occasion of World Tiger Day 2024, on the National Trust for Nature Conservation premises in Khumaltar. 

Instead, he engaged in a conversation about tigers with children during the event organised on the theme of “Human Tiger Coexistence: A Pathway to Prosperity”.

The Prime Minister faced five questions from Kathmandu-based school students on tiger conservation and the role of the head of the government. He answered all the questions in an impressive manner.

When Purabi Adhikari, a student from Ambition Academy, Kathmandu, asked, “Prime Minister, I learned that you are a nature lover. What encourages you to be in love with nature?” Prime Minister Oli responded, “I have loved nature since my childhood. I used to graze cattle I was a child, and during that time, I used to encounter tigers. Since then, I have been in love with nature and wild animals and I know their behaviours as well. I also love rivers.”

Prime Minister Oli mentioned that he became emotional when small children showcased a drama about a tiger's suffering. He said he was crying when he saw a small girl, who played the role of a tiger, being killed by a human. He stressed that tigers should not be kept in small enclosures. “I remember my prison life when I see a wild tiger kept in a small enclosure,” he said.

Another school child, Jyoti Shree Malla, asked, “When the tiger is regarded as the chief of the jungle and you are now the chief of the government, how do you encourage small children like us to protect tigers?”

 Prime Minister Oli responded, "If you learn about conservation from a young age, it will become easier. Wild animals, not just tigers, are fighting for their lives. People who conflict with wild animals understand the real problem, but we need to create an environment where wild animals stay inside the forest and people stay within human settlements."

At the programme, the Prime Minister only gave the answers to the children's questions. Giving the answers he said, "If the number of tiger increases like this in the coming years, we can gift them to other countries as well."

He said, "It is not possible to increase the number of tigers beyond the country's capacity. Increasing their numbers without considering our capacity can lead to human devastation. We must not let such a situation arise." 

 Stating that there are many animals and wildlife in nature that need suitable habitats, he said, "We must avoid conflict situations with them. People must be aware and work to avoid conflicts with wild animals. Our primary duty is to ensure human safety.”

He also mentioned that he was the one who inaugurated the Open Zoo in Suryabinayak in 2016, which was designed to keep non-violent animals. “If we keep man-eaters in congested jungles, they will encounter humans every day and become more violent. So, we need to think carefully before keeping animals near dense settlements,” he said.

At the programme, Minister for Forest and Environment Ain Bahadur Shahi Thakuri, Deputy Secretary at the Ministry Dr. Govinda Prasad Sharma, Chairman of the NTNC Krishna Prasad Oli, Director General at the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation Dr. Sindu Dhungana and Member Secretary at NTNC Dr. Naresh Subedi also spoke about tiger conservation.

According to the latest Tiger Census in 2022, CNP houses 128 tigers, BNP has 125 tigers, Banke National Park has 25 Shuklaphanta National Park has 36 and Parsa National Park has 41 tigers.

Bengal tigers are found in 13 countries worldwide. In 2010, at a conference in St. Petersburg, Russia, the governments and heads of state of the 13 countries where tigers are found committed to doubling the tiger population by 2022.