A man in Nepal was found dead in the jungle with his head missing, suspected to be the result of a tiger attack. Krishna Prasad Sharma’s body was discovered after he failed to return from a trip into the Adhabhar forest to gather food for his cattle. Authorities launched a search operation for the 55-year-old farmer upon his family’s alert.
Preliminary investigations suggest that Sharma was mauled by a tiger, which allegedly severed his head, still unaccounted for. The police are actively looking into the incident to determine the circumstances surrounding the tragic event.
Reportedly, tiger attacks in Nepal resulted in nearly 40 fatalities and 15 injuries between 2019 and 2023, although local sources claim the numbers to be higher and escalating. Nepal’s prime minister expressed concerns over the surplus tiger population following a successful conservation initiative that saw the country’s tiger count triple over 12 years.
From 121 Bengal tigers in 2010 to 355 in 2022, Nepal’s conservation efforts led to a significant increase in the tiger population, commended for curbing poaching, expanding national parks, and establishing wildlife corridors with India. However, the surge in fatal human encounters with tigers has overshadowed this achievement.
Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli proposed the idea of sending tigers as gifts to other nations, stating that maintaining over 350 tigers in a small country poses risks. With only about 5,600 wild tigers remaining across 13 countries, including Nepal, China, India, Thailand, Indonesia, and Russia, the conservation of these majestic creatures remains a global concern.