Protecting the future
With as few as 3,200 tigers left in the wild there is still more work to be done. Nepal’s results are a major step toward the global goal of doubling wild tiger numbers by 2022—also known as Tx2. “Tigers are a part of Nepal’s natural wealth and we are committed to ensuring these magnificent wild cats have the prey, protection and space to thrive,” said Megh Bahadur Pandey, Director General of Nepal’s Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation
This increase in tiger numbers comes at a time when many countries are reeling under the onslaught of a poaching crisis. It is a testament to increased government commitment at all levels, effective intelligence networks and strong support from local communities. In recent years Nepal has stepped up antipoaching and law enforcement activities to stop wildlife crime. As both a key source and transit country for the wildlife trafficking, Nepal has had to be extremely vigilant.
“We cannot afford to forget that wildlife criminals are aggressively preying upon the last of the world’s wild tigers and if we allow complacency to creep in, all the conservation gains we applaud today could be gone tomorrow,” said Shubash Lohani, Deputy Director of WWF’s Eastern Himalayas program.
Toward Tx2
WWF calls on governments of other tiger range countries to commit to a series of global wild tiger counts. Three comprehensive counts, in 2016, 2020 and 2022, is the minimum required to track progress toward the goal of doubling wild tiger numbers by 2022.
