According to a population census on the endangered one-horned rhinos, carried out by the Department of National Park and Wildlife Conservation (DNPWC), Nepal there are at present 534 rhinos in the country, an increase of 99 from the 2008 census. The counting was carried out at Chitwan National Park (CNP), Bardia National Park (BNP) and Shuklaphanta Wildlife Reserve (SWR). Counting was carried simultaneously at these places. 503 rhinos were recorded in Chitwan National Park, 24 in Bardia National Park and 7 in Shuklaphanta Wildlife Reserve. The rhino census, supported by World Wildlife Fund (WWF) is conducted every three years.
Reports show that the tiger population worldwide has declined from 100,000 to only 3,200 in one century. SAARC countries(Nepal, Bhutan, India & Bangladesh)are habitat for about 70 percent of the world’s tigers.Taking this into consideration Nepal is hosting a ministerial level meeting on tiger conservation in the SAARC region on the third week of August. Ministers from India, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Nepal will be discussing on issues related to tigers and provide inputs for the heads of state meeting on September in Russia.
At present Nepal has 121 adult breeding tigers.The Department of National Park and Wildlife Conservation (DNPWC) has stepped up efforts to make the newly established Banke National Park and the neighboring Bardiya National Park in mid-west Nepal the biggest tiger habitat in the whole of Asia. Nepal has committed to double the number of tigers by 2022.
Hollywood actor Leonardo DiCaprio, who has joined hands with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) to launch a global campaign to double the world’s tiger population, paid a clandestine visit to Nepal’s Bardiya National Park this year, on the last week of May. According to a statement released by WWF, DiCaprio’s visit came as part of his travel to Asia with WWF experts to see the threats tigers face first-hand.
