Namobuddha being returned to his cage

Namobuddha is transferred to a trailer for the journey ahead

Namobuddha, the 28-month-old Royal Bengal Tiger that was transferred from the national park in Chitwan to the Babai valley in Bardiya on 22 January, is now able to hunt for itself, according to WWF reports based on information from the GPS collar it has been fitted with.

Six months previous to his transfer, Namobuddha was discovered injured following a territorial skirmish with adult tigers in Chitwan. Following treatment, the tiger was fitted with a GPS-enabled satellite collar and translocated by land to Bardiya, which offered a safer habitat with abundant prey. The move was a first for Nepal, and involved over 100 people, including park staff, state security and WWF experts.

According to the Ministry of Forests, there are 18 tigers in Bardiya, 125 in Chitwan, 8 in Shukla Phanta Reserve and 4 in Parsa National park, making for a total of 155 adult tigers in Nepal. The government plans to double this number by 2022.

Translocation from Chitwan to Bardiya On the verge of being released to the jungles of Bardiya A collared Namobuddha walks free into the brave new world of Bardiya Those involved in the translocation pose, sans trophy, in Bardiya The 28-month-old Namobuddha gets a thorough check-up following GPS collaring, Chitwan

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