NTNC and ZSL have signed an agreement to undertake a robust scientific survey to estimate tiger prey base density covering all types of habitats of Chitwan-Parsa complex so that the ecological carrying capacity for tigers can be established. The agreement was signed following the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation's (DNPWC) decision to determine the carrying capacity of Chitwan-Parsa complex for tiger and its prey species so as to inform policy and decision makers with devising better strategies for tiger and their habitat management.
The agreement was officially signed on April 22, 2019 by Mr. Yajna Nath Dahal, Member Secretary of NTNC and Dr Hem Sagar Baral, Country Manager of ZSL Nepal.
After two days of orientation training on April 26 and 27, field work will begin from early next week for the next one and a half month. NTNC and ZSL will be conducting this research under the leadership of DNPWC.
"Currently Nepal has 235 adult breeding tigers, and although their population is consistently seen to be increasing, there is speculation that these numbers may have reached its carrying capacity limit in the Chitwan-Parsa complex, that is why we are undertaking this survey," explains NTNC Wildlife Biologist and Programme Manager, Dr Naresh Subedi.
