Tiger census is being conducted by creating 958 grids in the Chitwan-Parsa block.
What you should know
The second phase of the tiger census, which began in Chitwan and Parsa National Parks on December 3, has been completed. The census is being conducted in a single block in Chitwan and Parsa National Parks. Three blocks were created within this.
According to the park's information officer Avinash Thapa Magar, the work of removing the cameras has begun after completing the census of the second part. 'The work of removing the cameras has started from today. It will be completed in two to three days,' he said, '150 trained enumerators have been deployed for the census.'
In the second part, enumerators have been deployed by setting up 13 camps. Under this part, cameras were installed in the area from Sauraha, Khagendramalli to Lothar Pratappur, Bote Simara, Swameshwor, Bagai, Ambuwa to the hunter's base. The cameras have been removed.
The tiger count was divided into 336 grids. A pair of automatic cameras were placed in one grid and the tiger count was carried out. According to Magar, the tiger count will be carried out by placing cameras in one section for two weeks. Under the third part, cameras will be placed in Parsa National Park. He informed that the cameras placed in the second section will be removed and placed in those areas.
Tigers are being counted in the Chitwan-Parsa block by creating 958 grids. This means that a two-square-kilometer area is being counted as one grid. Tigers are also being counted in Banke, Bardiya and Shuklaphanta National Parks, which have tigers.
Information Officer Magar said that the tiger count is being carried out in three months.
Tigers are being counted every four years. Park employees, technicians from the National Trust for Nature Conservation, local volunteers, students and conservation partners have participated in the count. The counting technical camp is set up in the middle of the grids.
The enumerators will monitor the cameras placed in the grids from eight to twelve according to geography on a daily basis, said Information Officer Magar. 'The study will begin after the cameras are removed from the grid. During the tiger count, automatic cameras will be placed in places where tigers move around more. Those cameras will take photos of the tigers,' he said.
The numbers are allocated based on the spots on their bodies by looking at the photos of the tigers. Earlier, the tiger census conducted in 2022 had revealed that there were 355 adult tigers in Nepal. 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.
