Himal Press 
File Photo: WWF
KATHMANDU: The National Tiger Census and Tiger Survey began from Sauraha in Chitwan on Tuesday to assess the status of the Royal Bengal Tigers in Nepal.
The tiger census is conducted every four years. The census this year will be carried out across five national parks, protected areas, and adjoining forest areas where tiger movement has been recorded.
Minister for Forests and Environment Madhav Choulagain inaugurated the census by switching on the automated cameras to be used in the process. Speaking on the occasion, Choulagain said Nepal’s conservation efforts have gained international recognition and that wildlife such as tigers and one-horned rhinoceroses have helped enhance the country’s image globally.
Also speaking on the occasion, Haribhadra Acharya, an ecologist with the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation, said the census will be conducted by dividing the Chitwan–Parsa, Banke–Bardiya, and Shuklaphanta–Laljhadi areas into eight blocks. Each block will be covered using grids measuring two kilometres by two kilometres, where camera traps will be installed.
According to Acharya, the census is expected to cost around Rs 30 million and will use about 1,100 cameras. Around 250 staff members and technicians from Chitwan National Park and the National Trust for Nature Conservation will be involved in the tiger census.
Tirthaman Lama, a technician at the National Trust for Nature Conservation who has been involved in tiger census work since its inception, said the task is risky and challenging. He explained that cameras have been installed in tiger habitats and teams have set up camps inside forests to conduct the census.
The government plans to unveil the results of the tiger census on the occasion of the 2026 International Tiger Day, i.e., July 29.
According to the latest census conducted in 2022, Chitwan National Park had the highest number of tigers at 128, followed by Bardiya National Park with 125. Similarly, 25 tigers were recorded in Banke, 41 in Parsa, and 36 in Shuklaphanta.
