There are now twice as many tigers in captivity in the US than anywhere in the wild. Tigers are being hunted towards extinction for their skins and body parts which are used in traditional Asian medicine. The civil war in Nepal helped poaching activities, but as the insurgency dies down, WWF is again working with the government and local communities to stamp out the practice.


Funds generated from viewers votes will go towards a project addressing the main threats to the tiger in Nepal – poaching, illegal trade, habitat loss and degradation, and tiger-human conflict. The project will fund anti-poaching activities and scientific studies to understand tiger biology and that of its prey. If funds suffice, a wildlife forensics laboratory will be constructed to help combat the illegal trade of tiger parts. The project will also support the repair of guard posts destroyed during the Maoist conflict. The project will benefit all 350 tigers believed to be in Nepal.


In the Terai Arc of Nepal, hidden among the forests and seven metre high grasses, are 80 mammal, 47 reptile and amphibian, and 556 bird species. The area also hosts an astonishing 2,100 different types of flowering plant. Among species to be found here are the greater one-horned rhino, Asian elephant, sloth bear, gaur and Ganges river dolphin. This enormous diversity shares the landscape with 3.6 million people and 3.3 million livestock.