The Status of Nepal's Mammals: The National Red List Series - IUCN
The Status of Nepal's Mammals: The National Red List Series - IUCN
The Status of Nepal's Mammals: The National Red List Series - IUCN
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<strong>National</strong> Distribution<br />
Royal Bengal Tiger populations exist in fragmented<br />
locations in the Terai region and core sub<br />
populations are concentrated in the protected areas<br />
<strong>of</strong> Bardia <strong>National</strong> Park, Chitwan <strong>National</strong> Park, Parsa<br />
Wildlife Reserve and Shukla Phanta Wildlife Reserve<br />
and the districts <strong>of</strong> Banke, Bara, Bardia, Chitwan,<br />
Dang, Kailali, Kanchanpur, Makawanpur,<br />
Nawalparasi, Parsa and Rupandehi. This area was<br />
once a continuous subtropical forest zone but tigers<br />
are now isolated to the remnants <strong>of</strong> remaining<br />
suitable habitat. Most tigers exist within protected<br />
areas however approximately a quarter remain<br />
outside.<br />
Distribution outside Nepal<br />
India, Bangladesh, Bhutan.<br />
Main Threats<br />
• Poaching and illegal trade.<br />
• <strong>Red</strong>uction in prey base.<br />
• Habitat fragmentation or modification.<br />
• Human-tiger conflict.<br />
Conservation Measures in Place<br />
Tiger Conservation Action Plan 2008-2012 <strong>of</strong> Nepal<br />
TAL (Terai Arc Landscape) - Nepal Strategic Plan<br />
2004-2014. <strong>The</strong> Nepal Government has made a<br />
commitment to double Tiger numbers by 2022.<br />
A number <strong>of</strong> national and international NGOs are<br />
specifically supporting various conservation<br />
activities and programmes in the remaining<br />
protected areas to conserve tigers. Human-wildlife<br />
conflict issues are being addressed by the<br />
Government providing relief to victim’s families.<br />
Conservation Recommendations<br />
i) Enhance law enforcement systems for strict<br />
protection <strong>of</strong> wild tigers and their core breeding<br />
areas.<br />
ii) Implement systematic patrols in both protected<br />
areas and buffer zones.<br />
iii) Strengthen intelligence network.<br />
iv) Maintain large prey base population and their<br />
habitats.<br />
v) Implement capacity development programmes<br />
to achieve effective landscape and protected area<br />
management.<br />
vi) Stop infrastructure/development projects in core<br />
tiger breeding areas.<br />
vii) Develop strategies for protecting tigers from<br />
retaliatory killings; develop strategies for effective<br />
and sustainable conflict mitigation.<br />
viii) Increase awareness, education and community<br />
engagement activities.<br />
ix) Enhance trans-boundary cooperation for<br />
combating illegal trade in wildlife, maintaining<br />
ecological integrity in the tiger landscapes and<br />
promoting tiger tourism.<br />
x) Protect national and international biological<br />
corridors, controlling and managing encroachment<br />
in the remaining grasslands <strong>of</strong> Terai.<br />
References<br />
Prater 1971, McDougal 1977, Sunquist 1981, Smith et al. 1987, Smith 1993b, Suwal and Verheugt 1995, Smith<br />
et al. 1997, Gurung et al. 2006, DNPWC 2007, Dinerstein 2009, DNPWC 2009abc, Karki et al. 2009, Karki 2010.<br />
39) Panthera uncia (Schreber, 1775)<br />
Common Names<br />
Snow Leopard (English); Hiun Chituwa (Nepali)<br />
Synonyms<br />
Uncia uncia (Schreber, 1775)<br />
Species Description<br />
Has a luxuriant pale smokey-grey coat with dark<br />
grey rosettes, black spots on limbs and face.<br />
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