Habitat fragmentation in Nepal (above, farmland on hillside terraces near the town of Nagarkot) and the resulting loss of prey has led to a drop in Bengal tiger populations in the South Asian country, experts say.

Nepal's first ever nationwide tiger survey, released on July 27, 2009, revealed that at least 121 breeding tigers may live in the country's four major protected areas.

In 2008 the Nepalese government launched a conservation plan to increase the Asian tiger population by 10 percent by 2012.

The initiative works to restore tiger habitat in buffer zones around Nepal's protected areas. For instance, tigers have returned to formerly degraded regions around Chitwan National Park, and local people are starting to market tiger tourism in these areas.