KATHMANDU: Seven tigers identified as creating human-wildlife conflict have been rescued and relocated. The tigers were captured from areas surrounding Banke, Bardiya, and Chitwan national parks and are now being held in cages in Ramuwapur and Thakurdwara, Bardiya. According to the Bardiya National Park authorities, the group includes five males and two females.
Conservation officer Mahesh Neupane stated that the tigers, ranging from two to 12 years old, have been kept in various enclosures since 2077 BS. These animals were brought under control after attacking humans in their respective habitats. Ajit Tumbahangphe, senior conservation officer at the National Trust for Nature Conservation, Bardiya, noted that there is now a critical shortage of space to house rescued tigers. ‘There is no space left to keep rescued tigers, and all existing cages are full,’ he said.
To maintain the tigers, seven kilograms of buffalo meat are provided every other day, costing approximately Rs 823,200 annually. The park plans to manage two additional tiger enclosures this year. Tumbahangphe also mentioned that while poaching of prey species like deer persists within the park, there have been no major wildlife crimes involving large predators recently.
Currently, there are 20 rescued tigers in Nepal, housed in facilities across Banke, Bardiya, Chitwan, Parsa, and Lalitpur. Additionally, one tiger and two leopards are being held in an enclosure at Khairi in Banke National Park.
