A home to diverse floral and faunal species, and natural ecosystems, ranging from the lowland Terai region to the high Himalayas, Nepal with global commitment have announced its tiger population to be tripled with the occasion of World Tiger Day. Wild tigers have crawled their way back from the brink of extension.   As per Nepal Government, there are now almost three times as many wild tigers in the country as there were in 2009. According to results from the most recent tiger survey by Nepal's National Tiger and Prey Survey 2022, there are now 355 wild tigers in the country which is a 190% increase since 2009.

In 2009, Nepal had a wild tiger population of approximately 121 tigers which was declining. However, as per its global biodiversity conservation commitment, the country committed to increasing it to 250 by 2022 but the number of tigers has already reached 235 in 2018 and within the last four years it rose by 120. With this rise, Nepal claimed to be the first country in the world to have achieved that goal.

As per the data from the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation, there are 128 tigers in Chitwan National Park, 125 in Bardiya, 41 in Parsa, 36 in Shuklaphanta, and 25 in Banke. Other species including rhino, elephant, and leopard populations have also increased. To maintain a healthy population of wild tigers, park authorities have increased the number of waterholes to create an ideal habitat for deer (wild tiger’s main prey) along with an increase in grasslands. There are around 5,574 tigers (updated on 28 Mar 2024) in the wild, according to the worldanimalfoundation.org, Oct 2023 article, and the species is considered endangered. The Royal Bengal Tiger is only found in Nepal, India, Bangladesh, and Bhutan.

Amidst celebrations that the tigers are roaring back in Nepal, many of the world’s tiger populations are in decline from habitat loss, prey density, widespread poaching, and above all the increase in human-tiger conflicts. Nepal’s zero-poaching approach, effective law enforcement, and involvement in conservation projects have worked and helped in rescuing the wild tigers. Tiger played a significant role in promoting eco-tourism in the country. People from across the globe come to watch tigers in the wild. More tourists are expected to come in the coming days which will eventually help in the promotion of tourism as well as in improving the country’s economic condition.

Hence, the country proved that with political willpower, community leadership, and the right conservation measures, doubling tiger numbers is possible but it requires a lot of effort to design and implement certain measures to help increase the numbers of big cats and keep people safe.