OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES OF WILDLIFE CONSERVATION IN NEPAL: RHINO AS A CASE STUDY
Babu Ram Lamichhane*
National Trust for Nature Conservation
Biodiversity Conservation Center, Sauraha, Chitwan, Nepal
ABSTRACT
Human impact on Earth is unprecedented and present epoch is called ‘Anthropocene’. Future of the biodiversity, especially the large mammals is uncertain without our conscious conservation efforts. Modern conservation history of Nepal started since 1970s and the case of Greater One-horned Rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis, called ‘rhino’ hereafter) presents an excellent example of wildlife conservation successes and challenges in Nepal. Large part of Terai and Siwalik hills were forested and rhino population was abundant before 1950s. Chitwan valley alone had >800 rhinos. Malaria eradication during 1950s and forest conversion in following years along with widespread poaching and persecution as agricultural pest caused drastic decline on rhino population. In 1965, the rhino population was documented at record low of ~100 individuals in Nepal. Realizing the precarious situation of rhino survival, the Nepal government-initiated rhino conservation as ‘Gaida Gasti’ ‘(means rhino patrolling’). The National Parks and Wildlife Conservation was enacted in 1973 and Chitwan National Park was established as first protected area of Nepal in the same year. A series of protected areas were established in following years covering >23% of the country at present. The conservation was started with species focused strict protection by deploying national army; without addressing the needs of local communities. Soon, the need of people’s participation on conservation was realized and buffer zone programs were initiated to mainstream the communities living next to the parks. The conservation focus was also shifted gradually from single ‘species’ to ‘ecosystem’ and ‘landscape’. As a result, the rhino population increased from mere 100 in 1965 to >600 in 2000 at the rate of 5% annual growth rate. However, during moist insurgency and political turmoil, the wildlife conservation is compromised again; poaching escalated and population dropped to <400 in 2005. After the armed conflict is settled and conservation reestablished and the poaching is controlled, the rhino population to grow again at around 5% annually and population was recorded 645 for Nepal in 2015 with 605 rhinos in Chitwan only. However, natural mortality of rhinos has increased in recent years, especially after a big flood in 2017. After the political stability Nepal is starting various large-scale infrastructure development project which will fragment the habitats and affect the wildlife populations including rhinos. The increasing human-wildlife conflict is also regarded as one of the challenges for the conservation. Sustaining the growing wildlife populations is another challenge for conservation. Science based management practices inside the protected areas are important to manage the wildlife. Similarly, ensuring the protection of dispersing wildlife in corridors and forests outside of the protected areas should be given priority. The future of the wildlife (and also the humans) depends not on the conservationists but on the society; how it values the wildlife.
Keywords: - Chitwan National Park, Conservation history, Greater One-horned Rhinoceros, Rhinoceros unicornins, Wildlife
*Correspondence: baburaml@gmail.com
FOOD SPECTRUM OF COMMON KRAITS (BUNGARUS CAERULEUS): AN IMPLICATION FOR SNAKEBITE PREVENTION AND SNAKE CONSERVATION
Deb P. Pandey,1* Pranish Bhattarai,2 and Ram C. Piya2,3
1Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Parasitology, Agriculture and Forestry University, Rampur, Chitwan, Nepal; School of Medicine and Public Health, Faculty of Health and Medicine, University of Newcastle, Calvary Mater Newcastle, Australia; South Asian Clinical Toxicology Research Collaboration, University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka
2Department of Zoology, Birendra Multiple Campus, TU, Bharatpur, Chitwan, Nepal
3Apex Academy, Bharatpur, Chitwan, Nepal
ABSTRACT
Bungarus caeruleus cause thousands of fatalities annually in Asia. Here, we aim to examine stomach contents of preserved kraits to determine their most favored prey animals that might attract them to residences where they bite sleeping people even under mosquito nets. We examined freshly killed B. caeruleus and those preserved in collections maintained in hospitals and museums during July 2016 to October 2018 to identify contents of their stomachs and intestines. Among 61 examined B. caeruleus, three kraits consumed frogs, three consumed snakes, one consumed a bird, and five consumed rodents. This is the first comprehensive study of food spectrum of B. caeruleus for Nepal and the third study worldwide. Unlike previous findings, we found the snakes mainly feeding on non-snake prey animals. Most snakes having empty stomachs and a few specimens with freshly eaten prey animals indicated their entry into dwellings in search of prey animals due to food stimuli. Findings of partly digested rodents, frogs, snakes, and avian prey (which are commonly found in houses in the lowlands of Nepal) further support food stimuli to be an important factor driving B. caeruleus to residential areas where they often cause envenomation (69% of total specimens involved in snakebite, n = 42). Our findings can be extrapolated to understand feeding ecology of B. caeruleus distributed in residential areas and to formulate effective prevention strategies against their bites. Implementing effective and practicable prevention strategies lessens the fear of snakes. This consequently minimizes unnecessary killing of snakes, which in turn contributes to biodiversity conservation.
Keywords: Bungarus, Diet, Elapidae, Food contents, Kraits, Prey animals, Rodents, Stomach contents
*Correspondence: debpandey@gmail.com
NAIL TRIMMING IN CAPTIVE ASIAN ELEPHANTS
Dr. Bijaya Tiwari*
Livelihood Officer, Human Rights Awareness Centre, Rolpa, Nepal
ABSTRACT
Asian Elephant is listed as endangered species in IUCN red book. It is the largest mammal among terrestrial animals. Asian elephants have five toenails in fore limb and four toenails in hind limb. Nail trimming was done to prevent from cracking and splitting. Nail trimming was done by manual methods with the help of sickle, rasp and blade. Elephant nail was soaked in water before trimming for 10-15 minutes. Nail trimming was done slowly by sickle and nail crack was opened. Rasp was done in nail to make smooth and round surface. It is concluded that nail trimming helps elephant to walk stress freely and help from different foot infection.
Keywords: - Asian elephants, Nail, Sickle, Trimming
*Correspondence: bijaytiwari3@gmail.com