The conservation of endangered species is a daily struggle for many associations around the world. While saving species can be difficult, countries like Nepal are leading by example. The case of the Bengal tigers living in the country testifies to the country’s commitment to the protection of these animals.
THE TIGER AT THE HEART OF A VAST RESEARCH AND CONSERVATION PROJECT
Among the felines, the tiger is both one of the most emblematic species and one of the most threatened by extinction. An animal that is present in several countries around the world, its population has decreased drastically. However, Nepal has revealed, through an announcement by the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation (DNPWC), that the latter has increased in just 9 years.
This very encouraging news is part of a general objective that is crucial for the survival of tigers. WWF organized a Tiger Summit in 2010 and presented TX2, an ambitious research, conservation and anti-poaching project focused on the striped feline. Nepal’s announcement, which marks a first step towards its success, is the result of a concerted fight led by non-profit organizations in particular; but not only.
THE NEPAL, A GOOD STUDENT
Nepal has chosen to do more to protect the Bengal tigers by involving the population and the government. Between November 2017 and April 2018, a field study was conducted in the country. Its objective was to count the number of animals present in the wild. 235 tigers were counted, compared to only 121 in 2009.
Man Bahadur Khadka, Director General of the DNPWC at AFP, welcomed this figure, recalling that it was « the result of concerted efforts by the government, the local community and other stakeholders to protect tiger habitat and combat poaching. The challenge now is to continue these efforts to protect their habitats and populations in order to ensure the long-term survival of tigers.
BARELY 3,000 INDIVIDUALS STILL IN THE WILD
While there were about 100,000 wild tigers in the early 1900s, there are now only 3,200 today and this includes all subspecies of tigers. Their massive disappearance is due to deforestation, urbanization, the disappearance of their prey and poaching, among other things.
The TX2 project aims to increase the current tiger population to 6,000 individuals by 2022, the next year of the Tiger in the Chinese zodiac.