The tiger is, in all likelihood, the most fascinating and charismatic predator still inhabiting the planet. There was a time — which seems so distant and yet (evolutionarily speaking) so close — when big cats were widespread across almost the entire planet; today, most of the few surviving species are at risk of extinction. Fortunately, however, we may have realised in time that losing these creatures, which were the primary predators of our ancestors but without whom we would feel incomplete, would be an unforgivable mistake. For some years now, in certain countries, tiger populations have been slowly beginning to grow again. The latest good news comes from Nepal, whose tiger population has almost doubled.

Tigers double in 9 years

The number of Bengal tigers (Panthera tigris tigris) in Nepal has risen from 121 individuals in 2009 to the current 235. This was reported by officials from the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation. Tigers are animals that occupy vast ranges and are capable of moving like ghosts, making a census a formidable undertaking. More than 4,000 camera traps were used to carry out the monitoring, and wildlife experts covered approximately 2,700 kilometres across Nepal's southern plains, where the big cats roam.

The effectiveness of conservation

"This success is the result of unified efforts by the government in collaboration with local communities and other stakeholders to protect tiger habitat and combat poaching," commented Man Bahadur Khadka, Director General of Nepal's Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation. The main threats to these big cats in Nepal, as elsewhere in Asia, are deforestation, habitat loss and illegal hunting.

Read also: No rhino has been killed in Nepal in the past two years. Here's how it happened

The importance of the Tx2 project

To save tigers from extinction, in 2010 Nepal and twelve other countries committed to doubling their respective tiger populations by 2022, by joining the Tx2 project launched by the Wwf. Since then the project has begun to bear the hoped-for fruit: in 2016, the global tiger population rose for the first time in more than a hundred years.

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I am proud of @dicapriofdn’s partnership with @World_Wildlife to support Nepal and local communities in doubling the population of wild tigers. worldwildlife.org/stories/nepal-…

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An example for the world

The path being taken is therefore the right one, and Ghana Gurung, representative of Wwf Nepal, stated that the progress made by the country can serve as an example for tiger conservation at a global level. "Every tiger counts, for Nepal and for the world," he said. "The challenge now is to continue these efforts to protect tiger habitat and ensure the long-term survival of the species." Leonardo DiCaprio, one of the supporters of the Tx2 project who previously donated one million dollars to Wwf to save tigers, also expressed his joy at Nepal's achievement in a tweet.

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