Tiger census starts in Chitwan

The counting of the rare Royal Bengal Tiger has started in Chitwan National Park to formulate a long-term plan for its protection and boost its population, state-owned news agency RSS reported.

The entire park area has been divided into different sectors for this purpose, Chief Conservation Officer Phanindra Kharel told RSS. He said the census has been started from the Triveni area in the western part of the park.

One hundred and sixty ultra-modern cameras have been installed and more than 24 technicians mobilized for the census.

A dozen elephants have also been employed for the census being done by adopting the camera-trapping and paw mark method, according to the park office.

The counting would be done by keeping the cameras in a single block for 15 days. It is said that it will take nearly three months for completing the field work.

The Chitwan National Park is home to the largest number of tigers in the country. Works on protection of the tiger are under way here in line with the policy of doubling the tiger population around the world by 2022. nepalnews.com