BORN TO BE WILD CONSERVING NEPALESE WILDLIFE
BY SAMRAT UPADHYAY*
alf of all foreign tourists to Nepal visit one of the country's national parks. The landscape, flora, and fauna of Nepal offer the visitor beauty of great magnitude. Many rare and unusual animals, particularly the Royal Bengal tiger, Greater One-horned rhinoceros, and the snow leopard reside in the country's 15 protected areas.
But over the years rare animals in most parts of the world have become rarer, mostly through loss of habitat and poaching. In this century alone, three sub-species of tiger have become extinct; the Balinese, Javan, and Caspian tigers. In 1991, one third of the world's remaining Siberian tigers were killed for their bones and other parts used in Chinese medicine. In Nepal between 1989 and 1991, one third of all adult female tigers were lost.
Fortunately, however, timely action on the part the government and conservationists in Nepal has controlled the decline in the population of tiger, rhinoceros and snow leopard. Three out of the 26 mammal, nine bird, and three reptile species that have been declared endangered in Nepal.
The Greater One Horned Rhinoceros
Many visitors to the Royal Chitwan National Park view rhinos from the backs of domestic elephants. Largest of the three Asian species, the Greater One Horned rhino (Rhinoceros unicornis) found in Nepal weighs more than 2,100 kg and can reach 180cm in height at the shoulder. Its poor eyesight is compensated by a refined sense of smell and hearing.
Unfortunately nearly every part of the rhino is considered valuable. Its urine is thought to be protection from diseases and ghosts, its blood as a cure for menstrual problems, and its horn as a medicinal ingredient. Once abundant in the terai (lowlands), its numbers have been reduced to between 80 to 100 in Chitwan in 1968. This was due mainly to conversion of habitat into farmlands and human resettlements beginning in the early 1950s. People started migrating from the remote hillsides once malaria in the terai was eradicated. Protected with the establishment of the Royal Chitwan National Park in 1973, the rhino population today is more than 450.
The Royal Bengal Tiger
The king of the jungle appears in Hindu mythology as a symbol of strength, beauty and ferocity. The Royal Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris tigris) is found only in south Asia and constitutes two thirds of the estimated 5,000 wild tigers surviving in the world today. About 200 of these are in Nepal.
Nocturnal, solitary and resident in the dense forests of the terai, tigers can be up to 300cm in length and weigh between 150kg and 250kg. The tiger has an average life span of 20 years and a male requires a territory of up to 60km2. Not only is its habitat threatened, but the tiger is also poached for its highly valued bones and other parts used in traditional Chinese medicine. Recent anti-poaching programmes in Nepal have been most effective.
The Snow Leopard
The snow leopard (Panthera uncia) lives at altitudes above 3,500m among rocks and cliffs above the tree line. It has a distinctive short muzzle, high forehead, long tail, and the soft grey of its thick coat fades to pure white on the underside. Its spots appear as pale rosettes. It weighs between 25 and 75kg and can measure from 100 to 130cm, with the tail measuring from 80 to 90 cm. The world population of the snow leopard is unknown, but it is generally agreed that its numbers are low.
Conservation In Nepal
Preservation of these endangered species has remained a high priority in Nepal. Whilst national parks and wildlife reserves protect their habitat, poaching for the illegal trade in wildlife products has become an increasing threat.
The 1973 National Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act prohibits the sale and purchase of any material made from any part of wild animals. Punishments include fines of up to US$2,000 or 15 years imprisonment. However a 1992 study discovered that 1,225 fur garments were sold in 76 shops in Kathmandu, almost all operated by Kashmiri traders.
Government anti-poaching programmes in the Royal Chitwan and Bardia National Parks have effectively guarded rhinos, tigers, and leopards in the parks. Successful measures include patrols by trained rangers and game scouts, and a system of rewards offered to local people for information leading to the arrest of poachers.
"Despite the success of anti-poaching units, poaching control is a day to day battle," says Dr Uday Raj Sharma, former Director General of the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation (DNPWC). "This is primarily because the international demand for wildlife products continues." Ukesh Raj Bhuju, Senior Programme Officer of WWF-World Wide Fund For Nature Nepal Programme adds: "The law alone is not enough to prevent wildlife from being threatened. There needs to be awareness among the public and visitors."
WWF has agreed to provide US$550,000 for three years, from 1994 to 1997, for institutional support of the DNPWC, and for projects in the Royal Bardia, Royal Chitwan, and Shey Phoksundo National Parks. "The collaboration of DNPWC and WWF will reinforce the management of Nepal's protected areas," says Dr Tirtha Man Maskey, Director General of the Department. "Our relationship is an old one, but the mechanism of direct funding we have developed this time is a breakthrough. I believe this will strengthen our capability and greatly assist conservation in Nepal."
*Samrat Upadhyaya is a freelance writer based in Nepal. This piece is condensed from an article first published in Travellers' Nepal magazine in January 1995.
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