Tiger on the decline at Shuklapantha Wildlife Reserve

The tiger population in the Shuklapantha Wildlife Reserve has dwindled sharply, raising suspicion whether poachers involved in hunting the elusive big cats in Indian wildlife reserves have now entered Nepal, reports Kantipur Daily.

Not only tigers but, according to recent census conducted by the government, the number of other endangered wildlife species like rhinoceros, crocodile, blue sheep and wild buffalo has also decreased significantly in the national parks and wildlife reserves of Nepal. This has got conservationists worried, as they fear that if this trend continues then the endangered animals might be pushed to extinction.

The report on tiger population in Shuklapantha Wildlife Reserve (the third largest habitat of tigers in the world) made public by Department of National Parks and Wildlife Reserves Tuesday mentions that "illegal poaching" was the main reason behind the sudden decline in the tiger population in the reserve.

Recent census conducted here showed that there are anywhere between 6 to 14 tigers in the reserve, whereas only two years ago it was estimated that there are anywhere between 10 to 17 tigers in the reserve.

According to a wildlife expert who was involved in the census, they clicked photos of only five tigers by placing 'camera trappings', a digital camera device that automatically snaps photo of animals in the wild, at 12 different places inside the reserve. This means that including cubs, adult and old tigers, there are not more than 14 tigers in the reserve, the wildlife expert said.

"We think that poachers who were active in wildlife reserves in India have entered Nepal after driving the tiger population there to extinction," said Dr Annapurnananda Das, director of Department of National Parks and Wildlife Reserve while addressing a press conference organized to make the report on tiger population public, adding, "This is a very serious situation."

It may be recalled that some time back a poacher had been caught with tiger bones in his possession inside the Shuklapantha reserve.

"As the security posts haven't been reinstated in the wildlife reserve even after the cessation of conflict in the country and due to easy availability of weapons, dearth of conservationists and other problems, there has been increase in poaching of endangered animals like tigers," Das said. nepalnews.com ag July 02 08