The transboundary conservation efforts that started between Nepal and India in 2011 are paying off in two important tiger reserves in the country. These include Dudhwa in Uttar Pradesh and Valmiki in Bihar, both of which share boundaries with Nepal. According to reports, even Nepal in its recent tiger census report has also shown increase in big cat population. The forthcoming tiger census in India, expected to kick off from October this year, will provide reasons to cheer.
According to sources in National Tiger Conservation Authority, Dudhwa has photographed 130 individual tigers taken through camera traps, as compared to 118 during the last census. Even the much ignored Valmiki Tiger Reserve in Bihar has also shown a leap from 8 to 22. According to reports, Nepal has also recorded an increase in big cat population from 121 to 198.
While the Bardia National Park in West Nepal joins the Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary in Dudhwa landscape through the Khata corridor, Sohelwa Wildlife Sanctuary on the other hand shares borders with Banke National Park in Nepal and Pilibhit is connected with the Shuklaphanta Wildlife Reserve in Nepal. The Valmiki Tiger Reserve in Bihar shares contiguous borders with Chitawan and Parsa Wild life Sanctuaries in Nepal. These reserves are important parts of Terai Arc landscape.
“The sixth consultative meeting between wildlife authorities of Nepal and India in January this year that had stressed on strengthening joint actions on various aspects of transboundary cooperation have been very helpful”, felt Shailesh Prasad, Field Director, Dudhwa. The ungulate study in Dudhwa has also shown an increase by 12 per cent, which has helped in increase in tiger numbers. The two countries had agreed to work jointly on cross border protection mechanism, monitoring of tiger movements and prey base, restoration of corridors etc.
Prasad informed these camera trap exercises were being undertaken since 2011. They have shown a healthy trend of tiger population in Dudhwa with more than 20 cubs. At least 13 tigresses have been found with cubs. Such data indicate that Dudhwa has potential tiger population. Santosh Tiwary Field Director Valmiki stressed further on strengthening such initiatives. “The reserve shares nearly 300 kms of borders with Nepal and tigers and wildlife obviously knows no boundaries,” he said. Joint efforts have helped in exchange of information, better monitoring and will further be very helpful in the counting process of big cats thereby helping both the countries to ascertain more accurate figures.
According to experts, one of the most helpful strategies in conservation has been to work on the corridors connecting the protected areas in the two countries, allowing the free movement of tigers and wildlife. As a case in point they pointed to the establishment of the Khata corridor. “It is the only fully functional transboundary and ecological corridor in the Terai region which has been instrumental in wildlife conservation in the protected areas in both the countries,” they added.