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🇳🇵 Nepal /Environment & Climate

‘Problem’ tiger captured after terrorizing villages in Bardiya

From Kathmandu Post · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Outcome reported
  • A 'problem' Royal Bengal tiger, which had been preying on livestock in villages for over a month, has been captured in Bardiya National Park's buffer zone.
  • Technicians from the national park, NTNC, and Nepali Army used camera trapping and darting to subdue the tiger, which had become accustomed to eating livestock.
  • This is the third 'problem' tiger captured in the area in two years, and the sixth in eight years, as the park's tiger population has slightly decreased.

Villagers in Bardiya National Park's buffer zone can finally breathe easier after a 'problem' Royal Bengal tiger was captured. The animal had been terrorizing local communities for over a month, entering villages and preying on cows, oxen, and goats directly from their sheds.

Technicians from Bardiya National Park, the National Trust for Nature Conservation (NTNC), and the Nepali Army collaborated to track and capture the tiger. Ashok Ram, chief warden of the national park, stated that the operation took 19 days. "Because a ‘problem’ tiger accustomed to eating livestock could attack humans, a search had been ongoing there for 19 days," he explained. "After locating the tiger through camera trapping, we controlled it by darting it."

Because a ‘problem’ tiger accustomed to eating livestock could attack humans, a search had been ongoing there for 19 days. After locating the tiger through camera trapping, we controlled it by darting it.

— Ashok RamChief warden of Bardiya National Park, explaining the capture operation.

Tigers are labeled 'problem tigers' when a scarcity of natural prey forces them to venture into human settlements and target livestock, posing a significant risk to human safety. Ajit Tumbahangphe, Bardiya programme chief of the NTNC, noted that this is not an isolated incident. "We captured two last year and one this year," he said, referring to problem tigers in the area. "Over the past eight years, six ‘problem’ tigers have been taken into control in Bardiya."

While some captured tigers are housed within the park, the recent capture brings the total number of problem tigers managed in Bardiya to six over eight years. This situation arises amid a slight decline in the tiger population within Bardiya, with the latest census showing 112 tigers, down from 125 in 2022. The capture offers immediate relief to the affected villagers, though the underlying reasons for tigers becoming 'problem' animals warrant continued attention.

We captured two last year and one this year. Over the past eight years, six ‘problem’ tigers have been taken into control in Bardiya.

— Ajit TumbahangpheBardiya programme chief of the National Trust for Nature Conservation, detailing the history of problem tiger captures in the area.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Kathmandu Post in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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