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Bardiya National Park in Nepal and Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve in India have won this year's TX2 Award for doubling their population of wild tigers since 2010. A second award for Tiger Conservation Excellence will be presented to Khata Forest Conservation Area in Nepal which secures transboundary connectivity for tigers between Nepal and India.

The awards celebrate the upcoming launch of the 2022 Lunar Year of the Tiger. In September tiger range countries will convene at the second Global Tiger Summit in Vladivostok to assess progress towards the ambitious TX2 goal - to double the number of tigers in the wild - and to identify tiger conservation priorities for the next 12 years, according to a press statement issued by WWF.

The tiger population of award winner, Bardia National Park, increased almost five-fold from less than 20 tigers in 2009 to almost 90 in 2018 - an astounding achievement given it is situated in one of the most densely populated regions of the world.

Sathyamangalam, designated a Tiger Reserve in 2013, was home to only 25 tigers in 2011 but today there are an estimated 80 individuals in the area. Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve, located in the Western Ghats Biodiversity Hotspot, connects with two other protected areas, supporting one of the most important and largest tiger populations in the world.

The associated award for Tiger Conservation Excellence is presented to the incredible transboundary Khata corridor where community based conservation efforts, including a network of 74 community forests covering 202 km2, have secured safe passage for tigers between Bardia National Park in Nepal and Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuary in India. Over the last five years 46 individual tigers have been detected using the corridor together with other iconic and threatened mammal species including the Asian elephant, and the greater one-horned rhino.

The awards are presented by the Conservation Assured Tiger Standards (CA|TS), Fauna and Flora International (FFI), Global Tiger Forum (GTF), IUCN’s Integrated Tiger Habitat Conservation Programme (ITHCP), Panthera, UNDP, The Lion’s Share, Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and WWF.

Stuart Chapman, Lead of WWF’s Tigers Alive Initiative, said: “The commitments made in 2010 demonstrate what can be achieved through long term commitments to tiger conservation.

The dedication of field teams, conservation partners and communities living with tigers are behind these extraordinary results.”

Sugoto Roy, Coordinator of the Integrated Tiger Habitat Programme, IUCN, said “Successful tiger conservation involves continuous management and improvement of habitats at the landscape scale, rigorous monitoring of tigers and their prey, and working extensively with local communities. All of these criteria have been met with excellence, giving us these globally significant results.“

Dale Miquelle, Tiger Program Coordinator for the Wildlife Conservation Society, said, “The results demonstrated by these three sites demonstrate what tiger conservation success can look like when government agencies, non-governmental bodies, and local communities work together, using the best science-based practices, to create a better future for both tigers and people. WCS congratulates these sites, these countries and the local communities involved for their commitment to excellence.”

Midori Paxton, Head – Ecosystems and Biodiversity, UNDP, said: “The award-winning reserves serve as a beacon of hope that tiger conservation is possible in fast growing economies and that tigers can coexist even in densely populated countries. This is the inspiration we need as we move towards the next Global Tiger Summit and the setting of new tiger conservation targets.”

Nepal logged 8,017 new Covid-19 cases and 15 deaths on Thursday.

According to the Ministry of Health and Population, 15,736 swab samples were tested in the RT-PCR method, of which 5,616 returned positive. Likewise, 6,072 people underwent antigen tests, of which 2,201 tested positive.

With this, the country's active caseload reached 1,062,105. Similarly, death toll climbed to 11,687.

According to the Ministry, 5,292 infected people recovered from the disease. Among them, 88,642 are in home isolation, 1,934 are in institutionalized isolation.

As many as 257 are in intensive care units and 49 on ventilators.

Meanwhile, the Kathmandu Valley recorded 3,134 new cases.

Of them, 2,402 are in Kathmandu, 521 in Lalitpur and 220 in Bhaktapur.

Query

"I am a 23-year-old who has been struggling with panic attacks since I was a teenager. I tend to not take situations that are hard on me or upset me very well, and I get easily overwhelmed. I can’t help tearing up and start breathing heavily until I feel dizzy. Sometimes I have very dark thoughts about myself, which I know are wrong but I can’t help myself. Other times, I feel claustrophobic and hyperventilate. I want to take control of my emotions and not be overwhelmed all the time. What should I do?" -A panicky soul

Answer by Dr Rishav Koirala, Psychiatrist at Grande Hospital

What you’re going through points towards the problem of Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD). Its common symptoms are the low capacity to handle the stress of daily activities, high emotional sensitivity, anxiety over brooding, negative thoughts, restlessness, low concentration, emotional sensitivity, low confidence, tremors, palpitations, disturbed sleep, and shortness of breath. If many symptoms match, there is the possibility of having GAD. When a person constantly lives in anxiety, it is common to have panic attacks.

It is advised that you should visit a psychiatrist, any that you trust, and they can help you evaluate what problems you’re going through and find a solution for you accordingly. Meeting a psychiatrist doesn’t mean starting medicine! As you have a long history of suffering, it is necessary to consult a psychiatrist.

On a personal level, there are a lot of non-pharmacological ways to deal with anxiety, starting with your diet. For instance, avoid things like coffee or alcohal as they can increase anxiety,

Similarly, taking some time to calm yourself and deal with the emotions you are trying to control can also help by meditating. There are tons of guided meditation tutorials you can find on YouTube. Try exploring and following one that resonates with you. Take 20 minutes out of your daily life for mediation.

Physical exercise can also help. Maybe you can set aside 30 minutes a day to follow a small at-home workout routine (aerobics or cardio) or go running every morning or evening. You can even do stretching or try Yoga. These physical activities can do wonders.

Since you struggle emotionally, observing your feelings is also necessary. Ask yourself: Why is this making me cry? Why am I overreacting? It can help you understand your situation better and to figure out how you can deal with it logically. 

Keeping your struggles to yourself can be harmful and can have long-term consequences. So, sharing with someone you're comfortable with can help you emotionally. You can also visit a therapist to help you understand your feelings and your emotional reactions to events. 

And in the end, I would like to assure you that there is a solution to the suffering that you have been experiencing for long.

A couple was found dead at Bojeni in Shankarapur Municipality-3, Kathmandu on Thursday.

The deceased have been identified as Padam Bahadur Thieng (52) and his wife Phul Kumari Thieng (47).

According to Dinesh Raj Mainali, spokesperson at the Metropolitan Police Range, Kathmandu, they were found dead in their room.

Police suspect that the incident might have occured due to suffocation as they had slept after burning coal in their room.

Surya Bahadur Thieng (26), son of the deceased, broke the door after they did not wake up till 7 am today and found them dead, Mainali said.

Police said that they are looking into the case.

Pokhara Metropolitan City has decided to halt services except for the most essential ones from today in view of the heightened risk of coronavirus.

Issuing a notice on Thursday, the metropolis said that its regular services would remain closed till January 30 since some of its employees have contracted coronavirus infection of late.

Metropolis spokesperson Dhan Bahadur Nepali said that all regular services except for the emergency ones have been halted to prevent the virus from spreading.

He further informed that the service delivery of four out of 33 wards of the metropolis has also been halted due to the COVID-19 outbreak. RSS

Two persons died when a motorbike they were riding in met with an accindent in Garuna Municipality-4 in the wee hours of Thursday.

Police identified the deceased as Mohammad Altaf Alam (19) and Ravi Sah (25) of Gadhimai Municipality-8, Rautahat.

The two-wheeler (Na 62 Pa 3399) was heading towards Samanpur from Garuna when the incident occurred, DSP Shreeram Bhandari of the District Police Office, Rautahat said.

Critically injured in the incident, they breathed their last on the way to a hospital, he added.

Further investigation into the incident is underway, police said.

The Madhesh government has directed the concerned authorities to take action against Janamat Party cadres who had vandalized the vehicles of people's representatives yesterday.

Issuing a statement on Thursday, government spokesperson and Finance Minister Shailendra Prasad Sah directed the concerned authorities to carry out fair investigation into the incidents , provide compensation to the victims and take action against the guilty.

The Janamat Party cadres had attacked and vandalized the vehicles of Province Assembly member Ashok Yadav, Hariban Municipality mayor, deputy mayor and Dr Satish Sah of Jaleshwor Hospital on Wednesday.

"I wish speedy of the injured and urge all the parties to express their views and opinions in a peaceful way," he said in the statement.

India logged 2,86,384 new COVID-19 cases and 573 deaths in the last 24 hours, stated the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Thursday.

With this, the country's active caseload mounted to 22,02,472, which is 5.46 per cent of the total COVID-19 cases reported so far.

As per the health bulletin, the daily positivity rate is 19.59 per cent while the weekly positivity rate is 17.75 per cent.

With 3,06,357 recoveries reported in the last 24 hours, the cumulative recoveries reached 3,76,77,328. The recovery rate is currently at 93.33 per cent.

However, with the addition of new fatalities, the COVID death toll in the country climbed to 4,91,700.

As many as 14,62,261 tests were conducted in the last 24 hours to detect the presence of the virus. Over 72.21 crore tests have been conducted so far in the country, stated the official release from the Ministry.

Meanwhile, under the ongoing nationwide COVID-19 vaccination drive, over 163.84 crore vaccine doses have been administered so far.