A tiger was found dead in a forest area near Karnali River in Bardiya National Park (BNP) on Wednesday.According to Badri Binod Dahal, the park’s assistant conservation officer, the decomposed carcass of an adult tiger was recovered in the forest about 90 metres south from Chisapani Check Post. The dead tiger was discovered by a Nepal Army patrol team.

Park officials said the tiger had died of natural causes.

According to the latest tiger census report released on September 23, there are 235 tigers in the country.

The census report puts the tiger population in the BNP at 87, up from 50 when the census was carried out in 2013.

The number of tigers almost doubled in the country since 2009 when there were 121 tigers, giving hope to conservationists fighting to save the wild cats from extinction. The country has set a goal of doubling its tiger population up to 250 or more by 2022. (PR)