Tiger census in Shuklaphanta National Park to begin from March 7

KANCHANPUR: Preparations are underway for the tiger census in Shuklaphanta National Park, set to begin from March 7.

Purushottam Wagle, Information Officer of Shuklaphanta National Park, stated that the census will start immediately after the House of Representatives election, as park staff will be deployed for election duties.

“From March 7, automatic cameras will be installed in the Laljhadi-Mohana Protected Area, as well as in Shuklaphanta and Jogbuda in Dadeldhura, to carry out the tiger census,” he said.

The park office has divided the Shuklaphanta-Laljhadi-Jogbuda Complex into 260 grids, each measuring 2 km by 2 km, for the national tiger census. Automatic camera pairs will be installed in areas identified as potential tiger habitats.

The 2022 census recorded 36 adult tigers in the complex, 16 females and 12 males captured on camera, with the remaining eight estimated through analysis. Despite its relatively small area, Shuklaphanta National Park has seen a rise in tiger numbers, attributed to a high prey density of 146 per square kilometer. The park, renowned for its wildlife and rare flora, spans 305 square kilometers.