“We are waiting for the government order to dispatch additional men. We are fully prepared for it,” a high-level NA source told myrepublica.com.
Earlier, speaking at a one-day Tiger Conservation Workshop organized by the NA at its Headquarters on Sunday, the officiating Chief of NA, Toran Jung Bahadur Singh presented a summary of the recently concluded Kathmandu Global Tiger Workshop and stressed on the proactive role of the NA in controlling all illegal activities relating to trans-border trade in animal parts in the national parks and conservation areas of the country.
Singh stressed the role of the NA in the government´s plan to extend the conservation area of Bardiya National Park by another 896 sq. km.
“The workshop looked at the lessons learnt from the Global Tiger Workshop and evaluated the recommendations,” an NA source said, adding, “The experts pointed at the need to bring about a strategic change in the NA´s approach in dealing with tiger conservation.”
According to the source, the conservationists have recommended that the MIST technology be initiated in Shuklaphanta and Chitwan national parks at once, opt for other modern and scientific technology to strengthen the protection units, increase mobility, communication, manpower and other resources of the NA.
“The experts have recommended increasing conservation standard of NA, to change its game plan or action plan, and come out of cosmetic or traditional patrolling style,” the source said.
The experts have urged NA to play an effective role in meeting the government´s target of taking the number of adult wild tigers to 250 by 2012 in the Tarai Arc Landscape (TAL). The latest census has estimated the total number of adult tigers in TAL to be 121 adults.
The Department of National Park and Wildlife Conservation in its country profile has identified coordination with the armed forces as a key strategy to boost tiger protection and control poaching in tiger parts. It has also stressed on putting in place new technology to monitor tigers, its prey and habitat and collaborate with security forces to conduct research to gain a better understanding of tiger ecology and its population status.
akanshya@myrepublica.com
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