In Brief:
- Tiger population up 73% in Parsa, from 41 in 2022 to 71 in 2026
- Park begins CA|TS certification process to strengthen conservation
- Workshop held with officials, partners, security agencies and communities
- Focus on habitat, prey, anti-poaching, coexistence and long-term safety
Parsa National Park's tiger population has risen by nearly 73 per cent in four years, prompting the park to begin a process to bring its conservation management in line with international standards.
The number of adult tigers in the park increased from 41 in 2022 to 71 in the 2026 census. Authorities have now initiated the Conservation Assured | Tiger Standards (CA|TS) certification process to turn the population gain into long-term and quality conservation.
A CA|TS workshop organised by the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation was recently held at Parsa, bringing together officials, conservation partners, security agencies, park staff, buffer-zone representatives and local stakeholders.
Park Chief Conservation Officer Ram Chandra Khatiwada said the workshop discussed initial preparations, self-assessment, management improvements, evidence collection and coordination among stakeholders.
Senior ecologist Haribhadhra Acharya said the rise in tiger numbers alone was not enough to ensure long-term conservation.
He said sustained improvement in habitat, prey availability, security and overall management was necessary, adding that CA|TS would assess the broader conservation management system against international standards rather than simply counting tigers.
Khatiwada said the increase in tiger numbers was an important conservation achievement, but the park now faced the challenge of keeping both tigers and local communities safe.
He said the park's 'Tiger Friend Campaign' could be linked with the CA|TS process to strengthen awareness, community participation and human-tiger coexistence.
The certification process will assess habitat and prey protection, anti-poaching measures, smart patrolling, scientific monitoring, community participation, human-tiger conflict, tourism and the long-term status of tigers.
The process will involve registration, self-assessment, preparation of improvement plans and compliance documents, national review, independent assessment and an international decision.
Stakeholders at the workshop stressed that CA|TS should not be treated merely as a process to obtain certification, but as a joint initiative involving the park, buffer-zone communities, security agencies, conservation partners and local residents.
Authorities expect the process to make Parsa's conservation management more scientific, systematic and consistent with international standards. Khatiwada said the ultimate measure of conservation success would be tigers remaining safe, forests remaining healthy and local communities becoming secure and active partners in conservation, rather than the certificate itself.
