Parsa National Park – securing the future of Bengal tigers (ZSL)

Implementing partner:

Zoological Society of London (ZSL Nepal)

Project name:

Strengthening institutional capacity and collaboration for the conservation of Bengal tigers

Location:  

Parsa National Park (PNP), Central Nepal

Goal:

Parsa National Park and adjacent habitat are secured to support increasing Bengal tiger populations through strengthened institutional capacity, collaboration with local people, and improved surveillance to reduce threats to tigers and prey animals across the landscape.

• Objective 1: Maintain and improve the habitat within Parsa National Park to reduce the occurrence of tigers venturing into human settlements
• in addition aising
• Objective 2: Increase awareness in educational institutions and mobilise local young people to spread awareness on conservation and promote human-wildlife coexistence.

Background:  

This project is a continuation of previous projects funded by WildCats Conservation Alliance based in and around Parsa National Park (PNP) since 2015. ZSL has been working to secure Parsa’s Bengal tiger population as a future source population by supporting the implementation of evidence-based conservation measures.  These have covered a diverse range of interventions, including SMART patrols, monitoring, habitat restoration, and promoting human-tiger coexistence. The diversity of these activities reflects our desire to be responsive and shift focus to address critical threats as they emerge.

PNP is one of the vital landscapes supporting the increasing number of Bengal tigers in Nepal, and the 2022 National Tiger Survey estimated 41 tigers in PNP, a 127% increase from 2018. 

Research shows that prey density limits PNP’s tiger carrying capacity, and prey density is limited by habitat quality and availability. PNP grasslands provide tiger prey habitat, but grassland quality and size are threatened by woodland encroachment and succession, the predominance of tall grasses, and invasive plant species. Climate change and extreme weather also jeopardise habitat quality. If current habitats are not sustained, human-wildlife conflict will increase as animals stray beyond the park limits. 
During 2025, there will be two key work areas:
• Improving the quality and availability of grassland and water sources to support and improve tiger prey base populations by manual grassland cutting and invasive plant removal to create grazing lawns for tiger prey. (Comparisons with control plots will test intervention effectiveness.)
• Human-tiger coexistence and early warning systems – training citizen scientist ‘Bagh Mitras’ to build knowledge of tiger conflict prevention and mitigation, and to work with park authorities to disseminate tiger activity warnings on the southern park fringes, detected by a network of GSM camera traps.

You can read more about past projects in Nepal in our project archive.

Recent Results

12.5 hectares of grassland were successfully managed in 2024  and a new waterhole was created downstream of Kalidaha to enhance habitat quality for wildlife. To monitor the impact of these interventions, 4 camera traps were installed in Sahajnath grassland, covering 3 hectares, and 10 camera traps were deployed in Rambhori grassland, covering 9.5 hectares. Additionally, to understand the vegetation structure and physical features of the grassland, a quadrant-based survey was also carried out in the managed sites and their adjacent unmanaged sites. Camera trap monitoring efforts conducted twice a year, and vegetation surveys conducted 25 days after the grassland management interventions, generated pre and post management intervention data, which contributed to a published research paper evaluating the effectiveness of habitat management interventions.

To promote conservation awareness, the project conducted nine wildlife education sessions, reaching 648 students, including 430 schoolchildren from government schools and 218 university students from forestry campuses. Four eco boards featuring over 40 educational contents on human-wildlife coexistence were installed, indirectly benefiting more than 2,500 students. The project also supported 2 video training programs for 38 nature guides and community-based anti-poaching unit (CBAPU) members, enhancing their skills in promoting tiger conservation and tourism.

Tourism promotion through the creation of short videos in PNP was another key focus. The project has supported the creation of more than 15 promotional videos covering four major themes: jungle safari, culture (local food and accommodation), wildlife, and human-wildlife coexistence. Among these, three best videos in different themes were awarded, and all videos were shared and boosted on social media, collectively garnering over 26,000 views, significantly increasing visibility and interest in PNP’s ecotourism potential.