Tiger carrying capacity debate

Nepali wildlife conservationists are divided over the PM’s tiger population statement.

During an event organised by the Ministry of Forests and Environment in December last year to reflect on Nepal’s participation in COP29 , Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli said that having 150 tigers in Nepal’s forests was enough. “Let us gift tigers to our friendly nations. Protecting (all) tigers by endangering human lives is not possible,” he declared.