Nepal's tiger population rises to record 429

Nepal's Bengal tiger population has reached a record high of 429, marking a significant milestone in the country's wildlife conservation efforts. The latest National Tiger Survey 2025 recorded 74 more endangered tigers than the previous census in 2022.

The findings were released on Wednesday by the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation (DNPWC) on the occasion of World Tiger Day. The nationwide survey, conducted using camera traps between December and April, documented adult tiger populations across the country’s five tiger-bearing protected areas. The survey is conducted every four years.

Chitwan National Park continues to support the country's largest tiger population, with 145 adult tigers, up from 128 recorded in 2022. 

Parsa National Park registered the sharpest increase, with numbers rising from 41 to 71. Banke National Park's population more than doubled from 25 to 51, while Shuklaphanta National Park recorded an increase from 36 to 50 tigers. 

Bardiya National Park was the only protected area to register a decline, with its population dropping from 125 to 112.

Officials attributed the overall increase to sustained habitat protection, effective anti-poaching measures, improved prey availability and continued cooperation between Nepal and India in managing transboundary wildlife corridors.

“The increase reflects the effectiveness of Nepal's long-term conservation strategy," officials said, noting that the country's protected areas continue to provide suitable habitat for the endangered Bengal tiger.

The survey was conducted using a network of 3,696 camera traps installed across thousands of grid cells in protected forests. Based on tiger movement and habitat connectivity, the camera trap sites were grouped into three landscape complexes: the Chitwan–Parsa Complex, the Banke–Bardiya Complex, and the Shuklaphanta–Laljhadi Complex. Individual tigers were identified from their unique stripe patterns, allowing researchers to estimate population size with high accuracy.

While the survey underscores the country’s conservation success, wildlife experts caution that a growing tiger population also presents challenges. As tiger numbers increase and populations expand beyond protected areas, encounters with nearby communities are becoming more frequent.

According to the National Trust for Nature Conservation, 10 people were killed in tiger attacks during the last fiscal year, while 85 people have lost their lives in tiger attacks nationwide over the past eight years. Conservationists say these figures highlight the need to strengthen human–wildlife conflict mitigation alongside conservation gains.