Increasing tiger mortality in Nepal: a bump in the road?
Tiger populations in Nepal increased from 121 in 2009 to around 235 in 2018 (Jaznkya 2018). If this trend continues, Nepal could be the first country to double its national tiger population under the T × 2 goal of doubling the world’s tiger population by 2022 set at the World Tiger Submit in 2010 in St Petersburg, Russia. Despite some doubts in the number of tigers estimated and criticism with the questionable census method (Dixit 2018; Karanth et al. 2011), the reported increase brings optimism for the future of this endangered species, and for Nepal’s conservation success. Changes in tiger conservation policies and programmes, the establishment of a new protected area, control of illegal hunting and poaching, and increased private funding and capacity building are regarded as major contributing factors for the increase in the tiger population (Karki et al. 2011; GON 2013; Dixit 2018). Despite this success, the challenges of tiger conservation in Nepal have increased considerably even in the face of increased tiger mortality which exacerbates the problem.