Chitwan: Nepal is preparing to launch the tiger census in Parsa, Chitwan, Banke, Bardiya, and Shuklaphanta National Parks from mid-Push (December–January). The rhino census, postponed last fiscal year due to a sudden withdrawal of donor funding, will also resume this year after the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation (DNPWC) allocated a partial budget for the effort.
According to DNPWC’s senior ecologist, Haribhadra Acharya, the tiger census, conducted every four years, will run for three months starting in December–January. Meanwhile, the rhino census, initially planned for March–April 2026, may be rescheduled as it coincides with the national elections announced for March 5, 2026.
The rhino census will cover Chitwan, Parsa, Shuklaphanta, and Koshi Tappu National Parks. The Department has allocated Rs 1.8 million each for the tiger and rhino censuses, though the total costs are expected to exceed Rs 15 million and Rs 10 million, respectively. Officials said the remaining funds will be sought from donor organizations.
In the last tiger census conducted in 2022, Nepal recorded a total of 335 tigers; 128 in Chitwan, 125 in Bardiya, 25 in Banke, 41 in Parsa, and 36 in Shuklaphanta.
(RSS)
