Nepal translocates first wild tiger to new home

Jan 23, 2011, 13:13 GMT

Kathmandu - A wild tiger fitted with a global positioning system (GPS) collar was translocated for the first time in Nepal, World Wildlife Fund (WWF) confirmed.

In September 2010, the male wild tiger (male) was injured and had strayed into the nearby tourist resort from Nepal's Chitwan National Park some 200 kilometres southwest of the capital Kathmandu.

The translocation was led by the Nepal government, aided by World Wildlife Fund Nepal and the National Trust for Nature Conservation.

'This translocation - the first of its kind in Nepal - is a concrete example of our commitment to saving wild tigers using the best science available,' Minister of Forest and Soil Conservation Deepak Bohara said.

'I am confident that by working together the global community can reach the goals we set ourselves at the recently concluded tiger summit to save tigers to benefit people, nations and nature.'

A team of wildlife veterinarians, biologists, park staff and conservationists tranquilized the tiger and fitted it with the GPS collar and took it overland, more than 595 kilometres from Chitwan National Park to Bardia National Park in Nepal's far west.

The collar reports the tiger's location every 30 minutes and will help scientists gain a better understanding of tiger behavior, improve conservation interventions like anti-poaching operations and monitor the tiger adapting to its new environment.

'Nepal is one of the countries in the world where the prospect of doubling the tiger population is quite good, if tigers are given enough space, prey and proper protection,' said Krishna Acharya, Director General of the National Parks and Wildlife Conservation department.

By WWF statistics there are just 121 adult tigers in Nepal. Nepal aims to double the number of wild tiger numbers by 2022.

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