First record of Bengal Tiger, Panthera tigris tigris Linnaeus, 1758 (Felidae), in eastern Nepal
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September 10, 2021
Bista, D., Lama, S. T., Shrestha, J., Rumba, Y. B., Weerman, J., Thapa, M., ... & Murray, P. J.
Check List, 17, 1249.
10 September 2021
We report the first record of a Bengal Tiger, Panthera tigris tigris, in eastern Nepal in 2020 based on photographic evidence. We documented this evidence at 3,165 m a.s.l., which makes it the highest elevation record of a tiger in Nepal. We recorded this evidence in one of 46 trail cameras deployed for monitoring Red Pandas in the Panchthar-Ilam-Taplejung (PIT) area. The PIT area, which has non-protected status, borders India in the east. Our finding supports the importance of transboundary conservation, which will benefit local and flagship wildlife in the PIT area.