PM Deuba insists on better management of the tiger habitat

Kathmandu: Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba has said the presence of the tiger remaining as a distinct and rare wild animal is significant in view of economic, social, cultural, ecological, and touristic aspects.

In his address to a function organized by the National Tiger Conservation Committee (NTCC) Nepal on the occasion of World Tiger Day here today, the Prime Minister said the tiger has contributed to maintaining and balancing the ecosystem, and its conservation is needed.

He urged one and all to gear up for the conservation of the animal. Nepal is one of the limited countries in the world where the tiger is found, according to the Prime Minister who pressed the idea of conserving it for touristic purposes and thus for income generation. He said he wanted to thank all those contributing to meeting the ambitious program endorsed by the 2010 St Petersburg Tiger Summit in Russia for tiger conservation and recovery.

The Prime Minister further said the cases of human-wildlife conflict continue to take place in absence of sufficient food and habitat for tigers, adding that the situation has triggered the debate about which life is more important – human or wildlife. He was of the view of well-managing tiger habitat and improving the livelihood of locals. He also pointed out the need for more research and efforts to tackle challenges in tiger conservation. The Prime Minister also spoke about the need of keeping human settlements around the protected areas safe. He also directed the bodies concerned including the related Ministry to prepare plans for handling challenges in tiger conservation including the possible poaching of animals and their organs, insisting on the capacity enhancement of employees, and coordination with an international organization to advance toward the goals of tiger conservation. PM Deuba expressed the belief that activities would be carried out as per the Wildlife Friendly Infrastructure Guideline as the government has recently issued it. Similarly, former Prime Minister and Chairperson of the CPN (Unified Socialist), Madhav Kumar Nepal, urged the ministry and subordinate bodies for the conservation of tigers as well as suggested to award those doing good work in the tiger conservation sector. Chair Nepal opined, “It is necessary to conserve tiger as the tiger is important to make Nepal renowned at the international level. The Forest sector should be developed for tiger conservation. The National Trust for Nature Conservation should also pay attention to the same.”

Secretary at the Ministry of Forests and Environment, Pem Narayan Kandel, said that not only has the population of the tiger increased due to tiger conservation, but it also helps in environment protection. He further said that a special program has been launched to increase the tiger population. On the occasion, it is shared that the population of tigers has now reached 355. It was 121 before 2010.

Likewise, the Director General of the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation, Ram Chandra Kandel, shared that now the population of tigers has increased remarkably as it decreased in 2010.

He added, that as per the commitment made by 13 countries, Nepal has become successful to double the population of tigers.