The Tiger Dilemma in Nepal: Success or Crisis?
Nepal has garnered global praise for tripling its tiger population in just a decade, but Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has raised concerns that the country may have become too successful.
Oli, at an event reviewing COP29 outcomes, expressed unease over the presence of more than 350 tigers in such a small country, citing nearly 40 tiger attacks that claimed lives and injured people between 2019 and 2023.
The PM’s solution? To cap the tiger population at 150 and even consider gifting some to other countries. But experts argue that the issue is more complex than just numbers.
Striking a Balance
According to tiger biologist Ullas Karanth, the ideal tiger population depends on prey availability, with each tiger needing about 500 prey animals in its vicinity. The focus, experts say, should be on expanding protected areas with sufficient prey and tiger densities.
However, human-wildlife conflict is on the rise, especially in buffer zones between national parks and settlements, and forest corridors where roads and human activities intersect with wildlife habitats.
Conservation Challenges
Despite Nepal’s successful conservation efforts that led to a surge in tiger numbers, the increase in human fatalities signals cracks in the conservation model. The impact on local communities must be considered, as anger grows over livestock predation and human attacks.
Nepal’s commitment to doubling tiger numbers by 2022 was surpassed early, but the recent spate of attacks has overshadowed this achievement. Finding a balance between conservation success and human safety remains a key challenge.
The Way Forward
Solutions are not easy to come by, with suggestions ranging from relocating problematic tigers to other countries to more drastic measures like culling. Balancing human needs with wildlife conservation is crucial for peaceful co-existence.
As Nepal grapples with the tiger dilemma, it must navigate the complexities of conservation, human-wildlife conflict, and sustainable development to ensure a harmonious relationship between humans and tigers in the country.
