Maheshwar Dhakal, PhD

Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation

Bishwa Nath Oli

Department of Forests

Diwakar Chapagain

WWF Nepal

Implications of Mega-species Monitoring

to Sustainable Protected Area Management:

A Case of Tiger and Prey-base Monitoring

in Nepal

Sub-alpine

forest

Alpine scrubs &

meadows

Temperate

needle-leaved forest

Temperate

broad-leaved forest

Subtropical

needle-leaved forest

Floral Biodiversity 8,848m

60m 200 km 60m from MSL

Faunal Biodiversity

8,848m

60m 200 km 60m from MSL

Protected Area System in Nepal

• National Parks = 10

• Wildlife Reserve = 3

• Conservation Area = 6

• Hunting Reserve = 1

932

4376

8430

10948

20077

27631

28780

34186

0

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000

30,000

35,000

40,000

19

70

-75

19

76

-80

19

81

-85

19

86

-90

19

91

-95

19

96

-00

20

01

-05

20

05

-10

Are

a km

²

Year

Aichi target

Protected Area Distribution in Nepal

Terai Arc Landscape

Tiger Protected Areas in TAL

SN

Protected Area Core Area

(km2)

Buffer Zone (Km2)

Major Mega species

1 Chitwan National Park 932 751 Tiger, Elephant, Rhino, Crocodiles, Bison

2 Bardia National Park 968 507 Tiger, Elephant, Rhino, Crocodiles

3 Banke National Park 550 343 Tiger

4 Parsa Wildlfie Reserve 499 298 Tiger, Elephant, Rhino, Bison

5 Shuklaphanta Wildlife Reserve 305 244 Tiger, Elephant, Rhino

Managing the protected areas

Buffer Zone Area Core Area

What will be the implications if both human and wildlife population constantly increased?

Rhino Count Method

Ap

ril 5, 2

01

1

Ap

ril 23

, 20

11

Data-sheet Collection

+

= Total Rhino

Data-sheet Collection Data-sheet

Collection +

)

= Nepal =534 SWR=7 BNP=24 CNP=503

Trend of rhino Population in Nepal

800

400

300

100 108147

310

358

147

446

534

435409

484

612

503

408372

100 108

544

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

900

1950

1957

1959

1966

1968

1972

1978

1988

1994

2000

2005

2008

2011

Fiscal year

Rhi

no N

umbe

r

Population Nepal Population CNP

Tiger and Prey-base monitoring

• Camera trapping

• Line transect

• Occupancy survey

Camera trapping

Facial Marking

Body stripes

Same Individuals in Different Camera

• A male tiger (CNP13_MBB_18) recorded from 10 different locations

(Map below)

Results - SPACECAP

SN Protected area Estimated Population Density/100 km2

Mean SD 95% CI Density SD

1 Parsa WR 7 2.9 4-13 0.65 0.3

2 Chitwan NP 120 10.6 98 - 139 3.84 0.3

3 Banke NP 4 1.2 3-7 0.16 0.1

4 Bardia NP 50 2.85 45-55 3.38 0.2

5 Shuklaphanta WR 17 2.27 13-21 3.4 0.4

TOTAL 198 163 - 235

Trend of Tiger Population in Nepal

98 109

126 121

198

0

50

100

150

200

250

1995 2000 2005 2009 2013

Tige

r N

um

be

r

Year

Prey Monitoring (Transect Method)

Perpendicular

Sighting Distance

Prey Species

Result – Prey

SN Protected area

Estimated Details Density/ km2

Effort

(km)

Transects

Number

Observation

Number Density SE

1 Parsa WR 286 147 133 25.33 3.9

2 Chitwan NP 498 261 376 73.63 9.08

3 Banke NP 334 75 55 10.27 6.34

4 Bardia NP 398 219 571 92.6 8.8

5 Shuklaphanta

WR 154 82 114 78.62 16.44

Mega Species Population increase

Time

Human and

Wildlife Population

Hu

man

po

pu

lati

on

Elephant population

Implication of mega-species increase

People

Wildlife

Co-existence

People

Wildlife

Conflicts

1. Space: constant

2. Wildlife: increase

3. Human population: Increase

What will be the next?

Low High

Low

High

Wildlife (mega-

species)

Human population

Sustainable Protected Area Management (mega species)

Regular wildlife monitoring and carrying capacity

Adequate and in time relief and compensation schemes

Establishment of sub-population in potential habitats

Establishment of sub-population in potential habitats

Engagem

ent o

f local co

mm

un

ities and

C

apacity b

uild

ing

Main

tain h

abitat w

ith co

rrido

r and

co

nn

ectivity