By Gurkha Insight • Frontline • Aug 26, 2025 19:14 PM • 9 views
Nepal is celebrating International Tiger Day with a focus on "Human-Tiger Co-Existence," a theme that underscores the country's new priorities in conservation. Having more than doubled its tiger population from 121 in 2009 to 355 in 2022, Nepal has successfully met and exceeded its international commitment. However, this success has brought new challenges, particularly in managing human-wildlife conflict. In an effort to address these issues, the Ministry of Forest and Environment is launching a new 10-year action plan for tigers (2023-2032). The plan aims to shift the focus from simply increasing population numbers to ensuring effective management of habitats, reducing human-tiger conflicts, and improving connectivity between tiger populations. As part of the day's events, the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation has arranged for tiger conservation awareness messages to be used as a ringtone on Nepal Telecom's phone service. The celebration comes as Nepal grapples with the fallout of its conservation success. A total of 58 people have lost their lives to tiger attacks in Nepal over the last few years, with 12 fatalities in the fiscal year 2079/80 BS alone. The rising number of tigers has created a need for better management of their habitats and a concerted effort to mitigate conflicts with local communities. Globally, the tiger population has also seen a recovery, increasing from 3,200 in 2010 to 4,500 in 2022, thanks to worldwide conservation efforts.
