T
he reports about the welfare of the Nepalese tiger are mixed. On the one hand, their number seems to increase, on the other hand poaching is still an issue. See this article in the Kathmandu Post of February 12, 2016.
The big question is: does the number of tigers really increase to the extent as reported? Or is it a question of ‘better counting’ (through modern techniques and a better covering of tiger area) and ‘political desirability’ (to arrive at an acceptable result)? Not enough is known about this, but it is certain that the attention for the animal in Nepal is increasing, as evidenced by the fact that this poaching appears broadly in the newspaper, with the name and surname of the guilty.
Zero poaching
Poaching is a hot topic, already for a long time. Nepal is proud that the number of rhinos is growing – even zero poaching is now being claimed. We read in the newspaper: “7 Febr – Chitwan observed a ‘Zero Rhino Poaching Year – 2015’ to commemorate no cases of rhino poaching in the year 2015. (…) Chitwan National Park or Nepal and Kajiranga National Park of India are major habitats for one-horned rhinos. The number of one-horned rhinos was estimated at 800 in the 1950’s, but the number of rhino counting shows that there are around 645 rhinos across the country; Chitwan alone is home to 605.”
These rhinoceros are doing so well that action is being taken to ‘translocate’ a number from Chitwan (where there are many) to Bardiya (where there are few, due to poaching in the past).
The situation of the tigers is much more uncertain and vulnerable, unfortunately.
