Nepal's tiger population grows to 355-Xinhua

Nepal's tiger population grows to 355

Source: Xinhua| 2022-07-29 20:38:58|Editor: huaxia

KATHMANDU, July 29 (Xinhua) -- The tiger population in Nepal has more than doubled in the last 12 years to 355, according to a census released on Friday.

"This is a matter of pride that the tiger population has reached 355 as per Nepal's global commitment," said Nepali Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba who made public the census in Kathmandu on the day when the International Tiger Day was marked.

In the first tiger summit held in 2010 in St. Petersburg of Russia, Nepal pledged to double its tiger population in the wild by 2022 along with 12 other countries and regions which still have the species.

In 2010, 121 tigers were found in Nepal, and the figure rose to 198 in 2013 and 235 in 2018, according to the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation.

"It was possible to achieve our goal of doubling the tiger population because of political commitment, contributions from conservation agencies and the support from local people," Pem Narayan Kadel, secretary at the Ministry of Forest and Environment, told Xinhua.

Chitwan National Park has the largest tiger population of 128 in Nepal, followed by Bardia National Park with 125.

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