Over 200 wild BNP animals captured

By Jyoti Panthi,Bardiya, Aug. 30: With the rise in wildlife populations within Bardiya National Park and its adjacent forests, there has been a corresponding increase in the capture of animals that pose a threat to human safety.

When wild animals encroach upon villages and pose attacks on residents, they are subdued through the use of dart guns and various other measures by the National Trust for Nature Conservation (NTNC), Bardiya National Park, and the Division Forest Office. These animals are subsequently housed in secure enclosures and are provided with appropriate care.

According to reports from the NTNC office, a total of 213 animals have been captured as “problematic wildlife” within Bardiya district alone over the past five years. Specifically, during the fiscal year 2020/21, nine tigers, 10 leopards, 23 rhinos, venomous snakes, and 3 crocodiles were brought under control. 

In the following year, 2021/22, six wild animals—including five tigers and one leopard—were captured. In the fiscal year 2022/23, four tigers and four leopards were apprehended, while in 2023/24, six tigers, five leopards, and one crocodile were subdued.

Most recently, during the fiscal year 2024/25, authorities documented the capture of 11 tigers, nine leopards, one rhinoceros, one crocodile, and one sambar deer after they intruded into human settlements and subsequently attacked residents.

Ajit Tumbahamphe, Chief of NTNC Bardiya, stated that wild animals straying into villages and attacking individuals are managed using various techniques, including relocation to safer areas. “There are different methods for capturing problematic wildlife, and we employ the most appropriate approach depending on the situation,” he indicated.

The animals that are captured are either retained and cared for at the Bardiya National Park office or transferred to other districts as necessary.

Saroj Mani Paudel, conservation officer and information officer at the park, mentioned that currently, approximately six tigers are housed in enclosures at the park’s main office and Rambhapur post.