Automatic cameras are placed in high-traffic areas for tiger censuses.
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A tiger census is scheduled to be conducted in the coming month of December. The tiger census is being conducted in Parsa, Chitwan, Banke, Bardiya and Shuklaphanta National Parks.
Tiger censuses are conducted every four years. According to Haribhadra Acharya, senior ecologist of the department, the tiger census is going to be conducted over three months, namely Poush, Magh and Falgun.
Earlier, in the 2022 tiger census, the data of 335 tigers in Nepal was made public. In that census, 128 tigers were found in Chitwan, 125 in Bardiya National Park, 25 in Banke National Park, 41 in Parsa and 36 in Shuklaphanta.
According to Dr. Ganesh Pant, Chief Conservation Officer of Chitwan National Park, during the tiger census, automatic cameras are placed in places where tigers move around more. That camera takes photos of the tigers. He informed that the number will be allocated based on the parts on their bodies by looking at the photos of the tigers. Each tiger's parts are different.
Tiger censuses were conducted in Nepal in 2009, 2013, and 2018. In the 2009 census, 121 tigers were found across the country, 198 in 2013, and 235 in 2018.
The Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation has allocated Rs. 1.8 million in the current fiscal year for the tiger census. More than Rs. 10 million will be spent for this. The department has also allocated Rs. 1.8 million for the rhino census. It will cost more than Rs. 20 million to count the rhino. Donors will be asked for the remaining amount.
The one-horned rhino census is also being prepared to be conducted in Chaitra. It takes three weeks to count the rhino. The rhino census is uncertain due to the upcoming elections. The rhino census will be conducted in Chitwan National Park, Parsa National Park, Shuklaphanta National Park and Koshi Tappu National Park. The rhino census, which was stopped last fiscal year after donors expressed their inability to provide support, is being conducted this year.
The rhino census is conducted by directly observing the rhinos by riding elephants. The department has discussed using a different method this time.
In the 2021 rhino census, 752 rhinos were found in national parks and conservation areas across the country. The number of rhinos had decreased to around one hundred in the 1960s. It is estimated that there were 800 rhinos in Nepal in the 1950s. In the 2021 census, the number of rhinos in Chitwan National Park alone increased from 694, in Bardiya National Park from 29 to 38, and in Shuklaphant from eight to 18.
