Nepal’s Wild Tiger Count Surges to 429 in Landmark Conservation Triumph
Nepal’s wild tiger population has surged to an estimated 429, marking a remarkable nearly fourfold increase from 121 recorded in 2010 and establishing the Himalayan nation as a global leader in big-cat conservation. Unveiled by the Ministry of Forests and Environment on Global Tiger Day during the release of the National Tiger and Prey Base Survey 2026, the findings reflect a nearly 20 percent growth from the 355 tigers counted in 2022. The extensive survey—conducted between December 2025 and July 2026 using over 3,600 motion-sensitive camera traps across 7,300 square kilometers of southern lowland plains—revealed population gains in four of Nepal’s five key protected areas. Chitwan National Park recorded the highest density with 145 tigers, followed by Bardiya with 112, Parsa with 71, Banke with 51, and Shuklaphanta with 50. Parsa experienced the largest surge, nearly doubling its numbers since 2022. Conservationists attribute this sustained recovery to rigorous anti-poaching operations, habitat protection, and strong community-led forest stewardship. However, experts and wildlife officials caution that the burgeoning predator population is pushing close to the estimated carrying capacity of local habitats, exacerbating human-wildlife conflicts in buffer zones. As local communities grapple with heightened safety concerns, conservation groups emphasize that sustaining this victory will require expanding wildlife corridors and prioritizing human-tiger coexistence strategies alongside habitat management.
