August 27, 2009

Gharials face extinction

Gharial crocodiles are more at risk than rhinos at Chitwan National Park (CNP) owing to the lack of attention to their conservation, a senior conservation officer said. The fall in the number of gharials is more serious than the fluctuation in the number of rhinos in the recent years, according to Narendraman Babu Pradhan, the park´s chief conservation officer.

In the past two decades, 708 gharials were released by the park to the Narayani River. But a 2008 census found just 65 gharials in Chitwan. There are just 81 gharials left in the country, which has worried conservationists. Conservationists have urged parliamentarians to take steps to conserve the gharials. A week ago, CNP´s conservationists drew the attention of a visiting team of parliamentarians to the fact that gharials are more threatened than the rhinos.

The biggest reason behind the declining population of gharials is the destruction of its habitat with the receding water levels in major rivers. Similarly, fishermen who capture fishes -- the gharials´ staple diet -- is also a reason, according to Pradhan. Some of the gharials could have migrated downstream to India looking for food, while others are swept downstream when the gates of dams built on the rivers are opened.

Efforts to conserve gharials started in 1973 when CNP was established. The effort to increase their population by breeding them in captivity at a breeding center in CNP continues till today. Today, there are nearly 500 gharials, including babies, at the breeding center. For breeding, the center has two male gharials and nine females.

An adult gharial can be up to seven meters long. The gharials are released in the river when they reach five to six years of age and about 1.5 meters long.

The CNP has over 12 employees who are entrusted with the responsibility to take care of the gharials. 
   
  
Source: The Republica

August 23, 2009

Two arrested with a Leopard skin

Acting on the information provided by the field operatives of Wildlife Conservation Nepal (WCN), Nepal Police (Panchkhal) arrested Sanukancha Tamang and Lal Bahadur Tamang of Anekot 9, Kavre district with a leopard skin on Sunday evening, August 23, 2009. The convicted were arrested from Phedi, Kavre District. One motorcycle was also seized from the arrested.

Source: WCN

August 23, 2009

Rhino horn smugglers in police net

Two persons were held along with a rhino horn from Himal hotel in Khalanga bazaar. The arrested have been identified as Nepali Army soldier Nain Singh hagunna and hotelier Dhan Singh Chausir, the District Forest Office said. A team led by Ramesh Chand, officer at the DFO, had arrested the duo from the hotel along with the rhino horn weighing 525 grams.  “We are searching for the gang of rhino horn smugglers active in the area for the past eight months,” Chand said, adding that they were finally able to arrest two of the smugglers. He informed that the other nine members of the gang were still at large.

However, arrestees Thagunna and Chausir denied their involvement in the smuggling. Hotelier Chausir said that the road construction contractor named Prakash had left a bag containing the rhino horn three years ago. While, Thagunna said he was in his home leave to meet Chausir, his brother- in -law. Meanwhile, the DFO claimed that the duo was undoubtedly involved in rhino horn smuggling.” Case will be filed against the duo as per the legal provision,” Chand said.

Chand had also nabbed two Maoists cadres along with rhino horn five months ago. He demanded security saying that leaders of political parties were pressuring him to release the arrestees.” I am determined to take action against the arrestees despite insecurity, “Chand said.   

 
Source: The Himalayan Times

August 14, 2009

Tusker terror in Sunsari village

Goma Thapa, a resident of Shantinagar, Jhapa, has not got sound sleep for weeks, as a herd of rampaging wild  elephants that strayed into the village has been causing a havoc in the area. Waking up in the middle of night and chasing away the wild tuskers, putting own life at risk, has become an everyday ritualfor Thapa and other villagers.

It is not that this is something new that the locals of Shantinagar and adjoining villages have been facing. “This has been a perennial problem that normally begins each summer and continues till the harvesting season,” Thapa said, adding, “Many years have passed but our woes have stayed with us.”

Chasing the herd of tuskers or silently tolerating the havoc caused by them for fear of life has become the routine for scores of families living in the landless squatters’ settlements beside the Charkoshe Jhadi of Sunsari’s Itahari Municipality.The beasts, according to locals, graze on their crops or destroy them, and at times pull down their houses and trample over humans. Each year, herds of elephants come in human settlements from nearby Charkoshe Jhadi in search of food.

On Wednesday night, a herd damaged five houses in Shantinagar inflicting a loss of thousands of rupees. “Five elephants  and a calf damaged the houses of Dipak Magar, Goma Thapa, Megha Bahadur Subba, Man Bahadur Rai and Surya Bahadur Rai,” said a local.  Almost all millet stored in the houses was eaten by the elephants, causing damage to the roofs and walls.  “They arrived in the dead silence of night and turned everything topsy-turvy in front of our eyes,” Man Bahadur said.
 “Fortunately though, we managed to save our lives.” A week ago, another group of the wild tuskers had damaged the house of Prem Prasad Bhattarai in the area. 

“A local, Kumar Rai, was crushed to death by the wild elephants six months ago,” he added.  “As soon as the word of the  elephants’ arrival spread in the area, male members unite to chase them while women and children rush towards safety,”  Dipak Ghimire, a local, said, adding, “We’ve frequently requested the authorities concerned to address our concern, but  in vain.”  Two years ago, within a span of two months, 11 villagers lost their lives to the wild elephants’ attacks, the  terror-stricken villagers revealed. When the elephant terror began to spiral this year, a group of victims went to area  forest office Tarahara and the office of Shantinagar community forest users’ group with their complaint." They have assured  us of security,” Dipak Magar, one of the victims, said. “Let’s see whether they turn their promise into reality." 

Source: The Himalayan Times

August 13, 2009

Trader arrested