Women face higher risk of death in Nepal’s tiger attacks
Summary
A new study in Nepal finds that women face a much higher fatality rate than men in tiger attacks, with most incidents occurring in buffer zones and surrounding forests rather than inside national parks. Recent attacks in Chitwan have renewed concern over human-tiger conflict as communities continue to depend on forest resources.
Key Points
- Between 2010 and 2024, tigers attacked 245 people in Nepal and killed 141, with women accounting for a disproportionate share of deaths.
- Most attacks happened in buffer zones and forests around protected areas, especially in Chitwan, rather than inside national parks.
- Researchers linked many fatal encounters to activities such as collecting firewood, fodder and forest products, grazing livestock and fishing.
- Officials and researchers are calling for safer forest access, better buffer-zone management and greater support for communities living near tiger habitats.
