KATHMANDU: Budget limits have posed substantial hurdles to conservation efforts at Chitwan National Park (CNP), particularly measures focused on safeguarding endangered animals and reducing human-wildlife conflict. According to Dil Bahadur Purja Pun, CNP's Chief Conservation Officer, the annual cost of managing facilities such as crocodile breeding centers and tiger cages is roughly Rs 7 million. Currently, CNP houses over 600 crocodiles and annually rescues and cares for five to seven tigers. The operational costs include feeding tigers buffalo meat and providing crocodiles with fish, which incur expenses of Rs 400 per kg for buffalo meat and Rs 300-350 per kg for fish.

Despite the critical conservation needs, CNP's budget allocation has been insufficient. This fiscal year, CNP received only Rs 3 million for crocodile and tiger conservation, a decrease from Rs 3.5 million and Rs 5 million in previous years. Looking ahead, the budget is set to decrease further to Rs 2 million in the upcoming fiscal year, exacerbating the financial strain on wildlife conservation efforts.

The reduction in funding has forced the CNP to reallocate resources from other areas to cover essential expenses related to animal care and habitat management. For instance, while the 60 elephants within the park continue to receive basic rations such as paddy, molasses, and foliage, there is no budget to provide more nutritious, protein-rich foods like grams. Additionally, maintaining the park's grasslands, essential for wildlife habitat, has become increasingly challenging with a drastic decrease in budgetary support. CNP previously received Rs 30 million annually for grassland management, but this has dwindled to just Rs 4 million in the current fiscal year, hampering tasks such as cleaning, grass cutting, and other necessary maintenance work.

Moreover, the budget cuts have impacted critical activities such as preventing poaching, where the mobilization of informers plays a crucial role. Funding for such activities has not been allocated for the upcoming fiscal year, further jeopardizing wildlife protection efforts. Additionally, revenue sharing from the park's buffer zone, mandated to support CNP under regulations, has also seen significant reductions over the years, shrinking from an annual budget exceeding Rs 120 million to half that amount today.