Tiger census camera and memory card stolen in Shuklaphanta-Laljhadi area

Kanchanpur: A camera used for the tiger census has been stolen from the Shuklaphanta-Laljhadi-Jogbuda complex, along with eight memory cards, according to officials. The camera was placed in the Laljhadi Mohana protected area under the complex.

Purushottam Wagle, Conservation Officer of Shuklaphanta National Park, stated that each census location was equipped with a pair of automatic cameras. “One camera was stolen, and the memory card from the other was taken. It appears someone deliberately took them,” Wagle said. Coordination has been initiated with local authorities to identify the thief.

The tiger census in the Shuklaphanta-Laljhadi-Jogbuda complex began on February 26, with 260 grids of 2.2 kilometers each established for monitoring. Cameras are installed in each grid based on tiger movement patterns and remain in place for at least 15 days. Regular activities, including checking camera batteries and collecting data from memory cards, continue. “Cameras placed in Shuklaphanta and Laljhadi have been retrieved, and installations are ongoing in the Jogbuda area of Dadeldhura,” Wagle added.

In last year’s census, 43 adult tigers were recorded in Shuklaphanta, up from 36 in the 2022 national census. National tiger censuses are conducted every four years, but in areas with poaching risks or low tiger populations, annual censuses are carried out.