Considering the degrading population of tigers, the Government of Nepal, in collaboration with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and the Smithsonian Institute launched the Tiger Ecology Project in Chitwan in 1972. And, in the following year, the National Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act 1973 was enacted. The Chitwan National Park was established in the same year accordingly and the boundaries of the park were further extended to the current size of 932 square km in 1977.  A network of protected areas for tigers was established. Addressing its significance, the government of Nepal introduced the Buffer Zone Management Program in 1996. Local communities also started to participate actively in the management and conservation of the protected regions and adjoining buffer zones and because in return, they got a 30-50 percent share of park incomes, that could be used in community development activities.

The Tiger Conservation Action Plan in Nepal

The Tiger Conservation Action Plan for Nepal was prepared for the first time in 1999. The five-year periodic plan was revised in 2007 developed and implemented as the Tiger Conservation Action Plan 2008-2012 thusly. In between, a National Tiger Recovery Program (NTRP) was also implemented in 2010 for five years under the framework of the Global Tiger Recovery Program (2010- 2022). Again, the Tiger Conservation Action Plan for Nepal (2016-2020) was implemented with an aim to address the critical threats to tiger conservation that are rising such as poaching, illegal trade of wildlife, human-wildlife conflict, wildlife diseases, and invasive species and habitat loss with proper conservation strategies. There were only about 120 tigers in Nepal as of 2009.  And, the tiger population almost doubled in the country as per the old tiger census in 10 years. Although wild tigers are still endangered because of poaching, rampant deforestation, and conflicts with humans, nevertheless their numbers are currently on the rise. But there still are challenges ahead. There’s still a great deal more to do in encouraging conservation efforts, all for the purpose of providing wild tigers and their habitats a better future. International Tiger Day 2022 in Bardia National Park. by Sushila Chhetri

Poaching Still Biggest Threat to Recovery of Nepal's Tiger Populations

Poaching is the illegal, unsanctioned killing of animals. For example, killing a tiger for selling its body parts is poaching.  Poaching is a real problem in nearly every underdeveloped country. Tigers need space away from humans, they need protection from poachers, and they need certain varieties of plants in to hide from prey or from the heat. Combined with the fact that tigers are territorial means that a place that’s good for tigers will have tons of room for whatever else wants to live there, and it will be safe and guarded against anyone who wants to come in unwelcome. The very main reason and threat for tiger survival are only because of huge consumer demand. Especially, the poachers are hunting the tigers for their skins, bones, teeth, and claws which are highly valued for their use in Traditional Asian Medicine. The wildlife trade network traffic found that for the past two years, the smuggled parts from at least 200 tigers have been confiscated per year by law enforcement in Asia. In the past 10 years, over 1000 tigers have been killed to traffic their parts to meet consumer demand in Asia. And Nepal alone records the seizures of 28 tiger pelts and 139kg of tiger bones in the past 5 years.

Chitwan was the Royal Trophy Hunting Ground for Decades

Nepal has a small hunting community and most people don't know that animal hunting could be a game rather understand hunting is the killing of animals for meat. However, Nepal has a great history of Trophy hunting from Nepalese to British Royals and had enjoyed seasonal hunting games for centuries. In the 1800s and the early 1900s hunting was a great sport done for pleasure and the thrill of the kill. King George V and Queen Mary from great Britain visited Nepal in 1911 AD to participate a 10-day hunting program. The king and his party killed 18 rhinos, 39 tigers, 4 sloth bears, several porcupines, and leopards. The predators were baited with cattle tied up at the edges of the jungle. A young live rhino was presented to them by the prime minister of Nepal and transported to the London Zoo. The events were captured in photographs found in three albums preserved in the library of the Royal Commonwealth Society (University of Cambridge) and the Australian National University. It is not known how all the trophies were distributed but four of the tiger skins were given to national museums across the United Kingdom – London, Edinburgh, Cardiff, and Dublin – and four to provincial museums – Exeter, Norwich, Leicester, and Bristol. British diplomat and naturalist Brian Houghton Hodgson who participated in the hunting expedition, documented over 560 species of birds (with 9,500 specimens), 900 mammals, and 80 reptiles. After hunting was made legal in Dhorpatan Hunting Reserve, many people from America, Europe, Australia, and Russia came to Nepal for trophy hunting. Prime Minister Chandra Shamsher Rana (left) with King George V (right) during a 1911 hunting expedition in the Tarai. Ten years later, he hosted Prince Edward on another epic hunt in Chitwan. Photo: NEPALI TIMES ARCHIVES

There are Nine Types of Tigers in the World

Tigers are by far the most intelligent big cats on earth and are among the smartest animals alive. Because not only is their brain size 16% bigger than that of lions they also adopt strategy when hunting on their own. Learn more skills than lions and other animals because the striped cat does study its methods thoroughly when on the hunt, during which it figures out the best way to take down its prey in a very limited amount of time. Tigers also display powerful memory, because their short-term memory lasts about thirty times longer than us humans, and their memories are made with stronger brain synapses, meaning that they do not forget things as easily as humans do. Depending upon habitat, diet, adaptations, and stripe patterns tigers are of 9 types. The markings are so unique, like a human fingerprint that researchers actually use them to identify a particular breed of the tiger. Meanwhile based on the skin color tigers are of two types: White and Golden tigers. Bengal Tigers The surviving subspecies of the Panthera Tigris Tigris, which is popularly known by its common name, Bengal Tiger and Baagh in Nepali is the only species found in Nepal. It is still the subspecies with the most living individuals left, even with its mere 3,500 adult tiger population. Bengal tigers can be found in alluvial grasslands, rainforests of both the tropical and subtropical kinds, mangroves, deciduous forests, and scrub forests in Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, and Nepal. Male Bengal tigers can reach up to 270 to 310 centimeters (110 to 120 inches) while the females reach up to 240 to 265 centimeters (94 to 104 inches). The males are also heavier, at 175 to 260 kilograms (390 to 570 pounds), while the females weigh around 100 to 181 kilograms (220 to 400 pounds). Places also have an effect on the weight and length of the Bengal tiger, with those living in Nepal and India growing to become the largest bunch. Siberian Tigers Siberian tigers are muscular, packed with large heads and powerful forelimbs. The Siberian tigers are the subspecies of Panthera Tigris and are especially found in the eastern part of Russia and some in China. Their colors vary from orange to brown which are splashed with white areas and black stripes. Their faces have long whiskers that are longer in male tigers, featuring eyes with rounded pupils that have been accentuated by yellow irises. The ears, however, are small and rounded with black markings that surround white areas called ocelli, which are not decorative but actually contribute to communication within the species. The stripe pattern is different for each tiger. The stripes could also be used as a means of camouflage, which is advantageous when they silently follow and pounce at their prey. The tiger, among large cats, has the most varied size even when compared to leopards and lions. Indochinese Tigers The Panthera tigris corbetti, more commonly known as the Indochinese tiger, can be found in several Asian countries such as Burma, Cambodia, Laos, China, Vietnam, and Thailand. They are darker in color and smaller in size than Bengal tigers but they are not lightweights either, with their capacity to reach the maximum weight of 420 pounds for males and 310 pounds for females. Indochinese tigers prefer to live in forests in areas that are either hilly or mountainous. There aren't a lot of these tigers anymore. The survey estimates the subspecies population to be at a mere 350. Even those that have been left behind are still in danger of being poached or even starving due to the fact that their primary choice of prey, such as wild pigs and deer, are decreasing. In Vietnam, about 75% of the tigers have been poached to serve as Chinese pharmacy stock. South China tigers Panthera tigris amoyensis, also known as the South China tiger, is actually the most endangered tiger subspecies. They are even more endangered than the Sumatran tigers, which are already heavily watched by conservationists and even made to the list of the world's ten most endangered species. The South China tiger belongs to a group of smaller tiger subspecies, with lengths spanning from 2.2 to 2.6 meters (87 to 100 inches). The range of the length of South China tigers is true for both male and female tigers. Males have a weight range of 127 to 177 kg (280 to 390 pounds); females, on the other hand, have a weight range of 100 to 118 kilograms (220 to 260 pounds). South China tigers were so endangered that between the years 1983 and 2007, they were not even seen in the wild. The Chinese government made it a law to ban the killing of tigers in 1977. This could be a move that was just a little too late because of the possibility of the wild tigers being already extinct. If they are extinct then there may be less than a hundred South China tigers left, 59 of which are known to be captives. These tigers are believed to be the offspring of only six animals. This is bad news because, in order for the subspecies to continue to exist, genetic diversity is needed. There are no efforts to breed the tigers to speak of right now, anyway, and no efforts to bring the tigers back to their natural habitats. Malayan tigers The Panthera tigris jacksoni, otherwise known as the Malayan tiger, can only be found in the south of the Malay Peninsula. The Malayan tiger was only recognized as a subspecies in 2004. Research conducted by Luo and others, from the Laboratory of Genomic Diversity Study (part of the United States' National Cancer Institute), came up with the new subspecies classification. There are about 500 living Malayan tigers as of now but they are endangered by poaching. Malayan are the smallest subspecies on the mainland and the second smallest living tiger subspecies. The males averagely weigh 120 kilograms while the females' average is about 100 kilograms. Note that the Malayan tiger has cultural significance in Malaysia as it has made it to the country's coat of arms. It is also the logo of Maybank, a Malaysian bank. Sumatran tigers The Panthera tigris sumatrae, commonly known as the Sumatran tiger, can only be found in Sumatra, an Indonesian island. If you think the other subspecies are in danger of extinction, this particular subspecies has reached a critical point. Sumatran tigers are the smallest of all living subspecies of the tiger. Adult males weigh between 100 and 140 kilograms (220 to 310 pounds) and females weigh 75 to 110 kilograms (170 to 240 pounds). This subspecies is small because it adapts to the dense forests of Sumatra. The prey available on the island is also a small amount, which does not do much for the Sumatran tiger's build. The population of Sumatran tigers in the wild is around 400 to 500, which is similar to that of other subspecies. Genetic testing has shown that the Sumatran tiger may develop or evolve into a different species altogether even if it manages to evade extinction. Because of this fact, there have been suggestions that particular subspecies should be prioritized when it comes to conserving tiger subspecies. Habitat destruction is still considered to be the main threat to the Sumatran tiger population. However, there are also records of tigers being killed by shooting near the end of the twentieth century. Those shot and killed made up 20% of the then population. Some of the other subspecies of tigers are actually a lot rarer and may even already be extinct.

Extinct Tiger Subspecies 

Javan tigers The Panthera tigris sondaica, otherwise known as the Javan tiger, used to live only on the island of Indonesia that it was named after. Sightings have been recorded up to the middle part of the 1970s. The tigers in these subspecies are bigger than Bali tigers, with the males weighing 100 to 140 kilograms (220 to 310 pounds) and the females weighing 75 to 115 kilograms (170 to 250 pounds). Sadly, the Javan tiger has no longer been sighted after 1979 when it was last seen around the Mount Betiri area. During a Mount Halimun Salak National Park expedition back in 1990, there was no definite evidence to support that there are still living Javan tigers. Bali tigers The Panthera tigris balica, which is popularly known as the Bali tiger, used to be limited to Bali, an Indonesian island. When it still existed, the Bali tiger was the smallest tiger subspecies, with the males weighing 90 to 100 kilograms (200 to 220 pounds) and the females weighing 65 to 80 kilograms (140 to 180 pounds). It is unfortunate that people can no longer appreciate the beauty of a Bali tiger in its compact size. The tigers have become extinct because of hunting. The last of its kind, which is an adult female, was believed to have been hunted and killed in Sumbar Kima. Back in September 37 1937, there was no Bali tiger left captive in West Bali. However, today the long-extinct tiger is still regarded with importance in Balinese Hinduism. Caspian tigers The Panthera tigris virgata is better known as the Caspian tiger as well as under other names, such as the Hyrcanian or the Turan tiger. This tiger subspecies used to be found in sparse forests. It was also found south and west of the Caspian Sea. At least, it was still sighted in the wild until the early 1970s. The closest living subspecies to the Caspian tiger is the Amur tiger.

Tiger Colors

Tigers may also be categorized based on colors. Looking at the colors will help people who are less familiar with subspecies. White tigers The white tiger is produced with the help of the allele called chinchilla albinistic and is rather a rare sighting in the wild. White tigers, even the healthiest ones, have shorter lives. There have been attempts to breed white tigers to orange ones to try to fix the situation. When orange and white tigers mix, there is a mixing of subspecies. White tigers were first bred back in the early 19th century. They can result from two-parent tigers that carry the rare gene that is present in white tigers. This gene is so rare that it occurs only once every 10,000 births. Golden tigers Golden tigers actually have gold-colored fur, with pale orange stripes, and are supported by strong but pale-colored legs. They have thicker fur than what is usual for tigers. As of the last count, there are only around 30 golden tigers that are held captive. Golden tigers, like white tigers, are also part of Bengal. In fact, some of them come with the white tiger gene. So, it is possible that when two golden tigers mate, they can end up producing a white tiger with no stripes. Just like the white tiger, the golden tiger is also larger than the average Bengal tiger. REFERENCE:

• Lax laws make Nepal haven for tiger poachers
• Threat from poaching and illegal trade in tiger, its parts and derivatives and actions taken/required to combat the same in Nepal
• Carrying on the hunting legacy in Nepal