TIGER POPULATION GROWTH: Trans-boundary conservation efforts credited for success
Conservationists have attributed trans-boundary conservation efforts like the establishment of biological corridors, cross-border cooperation and monitoring of illegal trade to the record-high growth of the tiger population in Nepal.
Cooperative conservation practices implemented between the Nepali and Indian authorities working in the wildlife conservation sector along the Tarai plains of Nepal that harbours rich tiger habitats in the country has significantly contributed in the better management of habitats and revival of wildlife numbers over the years, the conservationists said.
The new tiger census report released on Monday said the country recorded 63 percent growth in the tiger population in the past four years.
“Wildlife knows no boundaries. And this realisation among the conservationists to allow the free movement of the animals in and around their habitats has led towards encouraging moves in species conservation, both at the regional and global levels,” Shiv Raj Bhatta, deputy director of the Terai Arc Landscape (TAL) Programme-WWF and former chief warden of Bardiya National Park (BNP), said.
According to him, BNP in west Nepal that joins the Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary in India through the Khata biological corridor has been one of the successful initiatives undertaken by the authorities in conservingwildlife, including the endangered tiger s and their prey species in the park.
The establishment of the Khata corridor, the only fully functional trans-boundary and ecological corridor in the Tarai—a path developed along the protected areas to allow free movement of wildlife along Nepal and India—has been instrumental in wildlife conservation in the protected areas in both the countries, Bhatta added.
The latest tiger census said BNP holds the second highest number of the big cats at 50 after Chitwan National Park (CNP) in the country. The number is also the highest for BNP in its history.
“Wildlife conservation efforts that were limited to protected areas and their officials, have now moved beyond the parks and even the national boundary over the years,” said Maheswhor Dhakal, under secretary at the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation (DNPWC).
Trans-boundary conservation is considered a new and innovative approach in the field of biodiversity conservation between Nepal and India and dates back to late 90s.
The initiation of the TAL programme in 2001 further helped strengthen the cooperation between wildlife authorities working in protected areas in Nepal and India.
All five protected areas in the Tarai are connected to protected areas in India through a network of biological corridors, which has helped reinstate and improve the fragmented habitats. CNP and Parsa are connected to the Valmiki Tiger Reserve in India, Banke National Park with the Sohelwa Wildlife Sanctuary and Shuklaphanta Wildlife Reserve with the Pilibhit Tiger Reserve.
The sixth consultative meeting between wildlife authorities of Nepal and India in January this year stressed on the need to strengthen joint actions on curbing poaching and illegal trade in wildlife and forest products. It has also agreed to develop a joint human-wildlife conflict mitigation strategy in both the countries.
Both the countries are working to formalise a draft of a memorandum of understanding between the two governments in trans-boundary cooperation.
“Trans-cooperation is the need of the hour. And we need to move forward in formulating long-term strategies to sustain the present initiatives in wildlife conservation,” said Prasanna Yonzon, chief executive officer at Wildlife Conservation Nepal, a non-government organisation working to protect endangered species by monitoring illegal wildlife trade.
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