Tiger census planned around mid-December to mid-January

Chitwan, Oct 28: The tiger census in Parsa, Chitwan, Banke, Bardiya, and Shuklaphanta National Parks is set to begin in mid-Push (December–January). Similarly, the rhino census, which was postponed last fiscal year (2024–25) after donors withdrew their financial support at the last moment, will resume this year as the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation (DNPWC) has allocated a budget, though not sufficient, for it.

The tiger census is conducted every four years in Nepal. According to the Department’s senior ecologist Haribhadra Acharya, the upcoming census will run for three months, starting in December–January. Although the Department has planned to carry out the rhino census in March–April 2026, it is reconsidering the schedule as it coincides with the national elections announced for March 5, 2026. The rhino census will be conducted in Chitwan, Parsa, Shuklaphanta, and Koshi Tappu National Parks.