Tiger Tops

Milestones

1964

Tiger Tops is established by two Texan big game hunters Toddy Lee Wynne and Herb Klein, as Asia’s first commercial game-viewing company, building a small lodge on the southern border of the country.

1971

1972

The Texans sell Tiger Tops to British adventurer Jim Edwards and his business partner Chuck McDougal. Together they are integral in establishing the pioneering sustainable tourism ethos that the company abides by to this day.

1973

As the pioneer of wildlife-based tourism in South Asia, Tiger Tops becomes an important advisor to the Government of Nepal to gazette the area around the lodge to form Chitwan National Park.

1974

1974

Chuck McDougal establishes world’s first long term tiger monitoring program, an initiative that still runs today.

1978

Tiger Tops initiates the Gharial Breeding Program in Chitwan National Park to help save the highly endangered crocodile from extinction.

1980

1980

Jim Edwards establishes the International Trust for Nature Conservation (ITNC), a grassroots-based charity aimed at protecting parts of the world where wildlife is threatened by human activities. A strong focus for many of the projects
is in Nepal.

1982

Tiger Tops Tharu Lodge is built on the border of Chitwan National Park, to provide guests with an ethnic Tharu experience whilst improving community development of the surrounding Tharu villages.

1982

1982

The First chukka of the World Elephant Polo Championships is played at the Meghauli airstrip close to Tiger Tops, following the invention of the sport in a bar in St Moritz, Switzerland. The sport was the brainchild of Jim Edwards and his friend
James Manclark.

1986

1986

Following a four-day state visit to Nepal, Prince Philip the Duke of Edinburgh visits Tiger Tops.

1988

Tiger Tops Karnali Lodge is built in the far West of Nepal on the border of Bardia National Park. This project was at the request of the Government of Nepal at the time to help open up tourism for (still) one the poorest regions of the country.

1991

1991

Jim Edwards greets the late King Birendra Bir Bikram Shah of Nepal at Tiger Tops.

1996

1996

A charitable joint venture between Tiger Tops and Swiss Air results in the opening of the Swiss School for disadvantaged children, on the grounds of Tharu lodge. Since then over 250 students have graduated from
the school.

2006

With Tiger Tops’s backing, Tharu Lodge manager D.B Chaudhary establishes the Jatayu Vulture Restaurant, a community driven initiative that looks to strengthen the dwindling vulture population of Nepal. The project is the first of its kind in the country.

2009

2009

The second generation of the Edwards family take over the management of Tiger Tops.

2016

In 2016 Tiger Tops ceased all elephant safaris and built spacious corrals at our Tharu Lodge to provide the resident elephants with more autonomy and freedom. In tandem, a new pioneering elephant concept was born that provides guests with one of the most unique and authentic elephant experiences in Asia.