Global Tiger Day is being observed here by organising various programmes today. The theme of this year's International Tiger Day is 'Human-Tiger Co-Existence'.
The Ministry of Forest and Environment is observing the Global Tiger Day by organising a special programme at Jawalakhel-based Central Zoo. An arrangement regarding tiger conservation awareness messages in the ringtone in telephone service of Nepal Telecom has been made on this Day, according to the Department of the National Parks and Wildlife Conservation.
Similarly, a 10-year action plan (2023-32) related to tigers is going to be made public on the occasion of the Day, said Deputy Director General of the Department, Ajay Karki.
Global Tiger Day is observed on July 29 every year with an objective of spreading public awareness for Royal Bengal tiger conservation. Royal Bengal tigers are found in 13 countries. The Tiger Summit of heads of state and government of these 13 countries held in Siant Petersburg in 2010 had made a commitment to double the population of tigers by 2022.
In the Summit, Nepal had promised to double the population of tigers from 121. As per the tiger census-2009, the population of tigers was 121 in Nepal.
As per the census carried out in 2022, the number of tigers had reached 355 in Nepal. Nepal has become successful in increasing the number of tigers than its commitment.
Nepal has been celebrating the Global Tiger Day since 2067 BS and conducting tiger census. Royal Bengal tigers are found in Nepal, India, China, Bhutan, Russia, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Myanmar, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Laos.
The number of tigers in the globe was estimated to 100,000 till 1900. It decreased to 3,200 in 2010. According to the World Wildlife Fund, the population of tigers reached 4,500 in 2022 due to conservation efforts from around the world.
According to the 2016 census, the highest number of tigers—2,226 -- was in India and lowest two in Laos.
With the increasing number of tigers in Nepal, different issues including their management, reducing human-wildlife conflict and improving their habitat have become challenging. A total of 58 people lost their lives from tiger attacks in Nepal.
Twelve people were killed in tiger attacks in 2079/80 BS, 21 in 2078/79 BS, 13 in 2077/78 BS, eight in 2076/77 BS and four in 2075/76 BS.
Bhisma Raj Ojha
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