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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 />

74

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