KATHMANDU — Nepal has too many tigers and too much forest, according to the country’s leader. The offhand remarks by Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli at a Dec. 26 event in Kathmandu on climate change sent shockwaves through Nepal’s conservation community. In one of the few countries on Earth where conservation efforts have made material […]
Tag: Bengal Tiger
In 2024, Nepal faced old & new challenges after tripling its tiger population
KATHMANDU — The year 2024 marked two years since Nepal announced the near tripling of its wild Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris tigris) population as part of the 2010 global initiative to save the big cats. Nepal was home to 121 tigers in 2010, the same year that 13 range countries agreed to double the animal’s […]
Bird flu sweeps through zoos with ‘grave implications’ for endangered animals
Dozens of rare animals including tigers, lions and cheetahs are dying as bird flu infiltrates zoos, with potentially “grave implications” for endangered species, researchers have warned. As a growing number of zoos report animal deaths, scientists are concerned that infected wild birds landing in enclosures could be spreading it among captive animals. In the US, […]
New brown bear ‘stronghold’ in Nepal redraws species’ range map
KATHMANDU — Researchers have discovered brown bears in a part of Nepal not previously known to host the species, prompting a call to protect this area as a bear “stronghold.” The finding, based on camera-trap images, also expands the known range of the brown bear (Ursus arctos) in Asia. It could also mark out the […]
Petition: Demand That a Tiger Who Escaped a Zoo Be Sent to a Reputable Sanctuary
For nearly a week, a male Bengal tiger named Tony roamed through Reynosa, Mexico as well as South Texas. Before that, he was being held captive at the Quinta La Fauna Zoo in Mexico – a zoo that has been called into question many times for dubious animal welfare practices. Then, after a week, authorities […]
Tiger Handler Mauled in Rare Incident at Dreamworld Theme Park
A senior tiger handler at Dreamworld, a popular theme park on the Gold Coast in Australia, was hospitalized after being mauled by a tiger during a routine morning interaction on Monday. The 47-year-old handler suffered serious lacerations and puncture wounds to her arm, but her condition is stable, thanks to the swift first aid response […]
Nepal’s buffalo-kills-tiger story reveals deeper pains in compensation system
KATHMANDU — Yes, you read the headline right: On Aug. 22, in a rare incident, a tethered domestic buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) killed an endangered Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris tigris) on the fringe of Nepal‘s Chitwan National Park. The event, which occurred in Pratappur village within the Manahari Rural Municipality, quickly made headlines across Nepal, with […]
Adventure tours with tigers? Nepal’s proposed policy changes raise alarm
KATHMANDU — Nepal‘s government has proposed zoning of protected areas, where human activities have long been highly restricted, to accommodate “adventure tourism” activities such as canyoning, mountain biking and motorboating. The sweeping changes have been proposed under the new draft National Parks and Wildlife Conservation Regulations, which have been in the works for a few […]