Chitwan, July 29: Three tigers have died of natural causes in Chitwan National Park (CNP) in the last fiscal year. Eight big cats had died in the fiscal year preceding the last. Assistant conservation officer of CNP, Prakash Uprety said an adult male tiger was found dead in the Bedghari buffer zone community forest at Nawalparasi on the western side of the national park.

Similarly, a tigress each was found dead in Thori and Kasara. The tigress found at Kasara area died in course of rescuing. Two tigers died due to wound while the cause of the death of one is not known, Uprety said.

He added that the number of tigers dying from natural causes has decreased last fiscal year compared to the previous one to that. Many rare one-horned rhinos had also died in the fiscal year before the last one. Forty three rhinos had died in that year. Twenty six rhinos died due to natural causes last fiscal year.

As per the latest count, there are 93 Royal Bengal Tigers in CNP. The number of tigers from Parsa to Balmeeki Tiger Reserve is 143. Eighteen tigers have been counted in Parsa alone.

According to him, the tiger habitat is coming under human encroachment in the name of road construction and development infrastructure construction in the last few years. This has increased the risk in tiger conservation.

Shuklaphanta: many tigers in small area

Meanwhile, a report from Mahendranagar of Sudur Paschim state states that there are 16 Royal Bengal Tigers inhabiting in the Shuklaphanta National Park. It is said this number of the tiger is relatively large in terms of the area. The Shuklaphanta National Park is famous as the national park providing habitat to the largest herds of the swamp deer. It is in Kanchanpur district.

The park is spread over 305 square kilometers area. Chief conservation officer of the Shuklaphanta National Park, Laxman Poudyal said a tiger occupies at least 40 square kilometers area as its habitat.The park office said availability of adequate food and control in poaching are attributed to the high number of tiger population.