The tiger census in Parsa, Chitwan, Banke, Bardiya, and Shuklaphanta National Parks is set to begin in mid-Poush (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. The Department has allocated Rs 1.8 million for the tiger census, though the total cost is expected to exceed Rs 15 million.
Likewise, Rs 1.8 million has been allocated for the rhino census, which is estimated to cost over Rs 10 million. The remaining funds will be sought from donors, officials said.
In the previous tiger census conducted in 2022, Nepal recorded a total of 335 tigers: 128 in Chitwan, 125 in Bardiya, 25 in Banke, 41 in Parsa, and 36 in Shuklaphanta.
