Nepal's tiger population doubles

Nepal has been able to almost double the number of wild tigers within a decade.

The report released on the occasion of the National Conservation Day states that the number of tigers across the country has reached 235, Xinhua news agency reported on Monday.

The tiger census of 2009 had put the number of wild cats at 121, which has nearly doubled in a decade.

There were 198 tigers in Nepal according to the last survey in 2013.

The latest growth has raised hopes for the Himalayan country to meet the international target of doubling the population of tigers by 2022 as per the global commitment.

According to a statement issued by World Wide Fund (WWF) Nepal on Sunday, Nepal is the first country to achieve global standards in managing tiger conservation areas, an accreditation scheme governed by the Conservation Assured Tiger Standards.

The latest national tiger survey was held from November 2017 to April this year in the trans-boundary Terai Arc Landscape with the help of camera traps and surveys.

--IANS

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