Chitwan, November 14

Work on tiger census is to begin in all protected areas across Nepal from November 30.

According to Man Bahadur Khadka, director general of Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation, camera tapping method will be employed to carry out head count of the rare species. As many as 2,000 cameras have been installed in different places for census work. The head count of the big cat will start from Parsa Wild Life Reserve then move on to Chitwan and conclude at Shuklaphanta National Park. The task might take around three months, DG Khadka said.

CNP Chief Conservation Officer Ram Chandra Kandel said they were preparing to begin the census task in coordination with the Election Commission. Counting will continue unobstructed during elections as well, as per Khadka. Census will be carried out in the protected areas of Nepal and India simultaneously.

Chitwan National Park in Chitwan and Parsa Wildlife Reserve of Nepal are adjacent to the Balmiki Tiger Reserve in Bihar. Likewise, Bardiya National Park adjoins India’s Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary, while Shuklaphants National Park adjoins India’s Dudhwa Tiger Reserve.

“The protected tigers move without restriction from one national park reserve area to the other across the Nepal and India border. Therefore, the task of carrying out census will continue simultaneously across the border to arrive at the exact population of protected tigers,” said DG Khadka.

World Wildlife Fund, Zoological Society of London, National Nature Conservation Fund, Nepali Army, staffers of national parks and conservationist of buffer zones would participate in the census task.