CHITWAN: Chitwan National Park is facing a severe budget shortfall in feeding seven tigers kept in cages, with funds only sufficient for two months of the year.
The tigers require five kilos of meat daily, costing Rs 22,500 per month.
According to Abinash Thapa Magar, the park’s information officer, Rs 438,000 was allocated for tiger food for the current fiscal year.
However, payments have only been made for meat supplied during Shrawan and Bhadra, leaving subsequent bills unpaid. Despite the financial crunch, the tigers are still being fed daily.
The park currently has three tigers in Kasara, two in Devnagar, and two in Sauraha. Recently, a tiger captured in Madi had to be sent to Parsa due to a lack of space in Chitwan.
“We do not have food for the tigers kept in cages, and if necessary, we do not have a place to capture and keep more tigers,” Thapa Magar said, highlighting the growing challenge.
He added that while the number of tigers needing control is increasing, the budget for their food has been decreasing each year.
The park is preparing to request an additional budget from the department to address the crisis.
Currently, Chitwan National Park is home to 128 adult tigers, according to the latest census. Tigers are kept in cages when they become violent and pose a threat to local communities.
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