Shuklaphanta national park prides itself of 16 tigers in relatively small area

Bhimdattanagar–Shuklaphanta national park which is spread over an area of 305 square kilometers is home to 16 tigers. Although the park area is not sufficient in terms of the number of tigers it hosts, it is known as the protected area with the high density of tiger population in a small area.

"Although the tiger's habitat is relatively smaller in terms of the area compared to the number of tigers found. There are many tigers here because of the adequate prey, " Park's conservation officer, Laxman Poudel, said. Shuklaphanta park also hosts the largest herd of the swamp deer in the world. The population of swamp deer is over 2,200.

The Park organized a programme here to mark the 11th Tiger Day today where the speakers stressed on the need to protect the tiger. The number of tigers in the Park as per the census conducted in 2013 was 17. The population reduced by one. Poudel said although there are settlements around the park area, there is no human-wildlife conflict here. The Devidal battalion of Nepal Army is mobilized for minimizing poaching in the park.

The government has already announced to double the tiger population by 2022 AD. According to the 2018 tiger census, its population has reached 235. A rally aimed at increasing public awareness on the importance of conservation of tigers and a street drama with the same message were organised in the Bhimdattanagar Bazaar today on the occasion of World Tiger Day.

Last fiscal year, the ever highest number of tourists from home and abroad visited the Shuklaphanta National Park. According to Park's chief conservation officer Laxman Poudel, 6,069 people visited the park in the period and of them, 5,740 were from within the country and remaining 329 were from abroad.

Similarly, construction of artificial ponds for wildlife inside the park area, road improvement works and cleaning of natural water ponds have been undertaken.

"The well publicity of the park is awaited at the national and international level. Geographically, it lies quite at a distant from the central capital Kathmandu and as we believe that the number of foreign tourists arriving here is not encouraging due to the same reason," he said. During last fiscal year, the park had collected revenue of Rs 8,623,000.