August 11, 2009

352 new species discovered in 10 yrs 

At least 353 new species of animals, fish and plants have been discovered in the Eastern Himalayas between 1988 and 2008. The discoveries include 242 plants, 16 amphibians, 16 reptiles, 14 fish, two birds and two mammals, along with other 61 invertebrates. In its compiled report of the species entitled 'Where World Collides', which was launched simultaneously in Nepal, Bhutan and India on Monday, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) said the species were found in the Eastern Himalayas -- a region spanning  Nepal, Bhutan, north-eastern India, Tibet and far-north of Burma. Tariq Aziz, chief, Living Himalayas Initiative program, WWF Nepal, said that the information about the species was published in scientific journals. “As it's far from the reach of general public, we thought to compile all the species and publish it for all.”

“Despite protection efforts, in the last half-century period, this area of South Asia has faced a wave of pressures as a result of population growth and the increasing demand for commodities by global and regional market,” he said.The Eastern Himalayas, which are known to harbour a large number of flora and fauna, are one of the biologically richest areas on Earth and termed as global biodiversity hotspot. Now, however, the biological treasure trove has been threatened by climate change.

"It's great to hear about the species discovery but the Himalayas are the most vulnerable areas to climate change and the habitat of many species may be destroyed in near future so we should increase our concern toward it," said Dr Siddhartha Bajracharya of National Trust for Nature Conservation.

Studies show that only 25 % of the original habitats in the region remain intact. According to the experts, the rugged and largely inaccessible landscape of the Eastern Himalayas has made the biological surveys extremely difficult so the wildlife remained poorly surveyed and there are large areas biologically unexplored.
Among 94 species discovered in Nepal, 40 are plants, 36 invertebrates, seven fish, two frogs and nine lizards, Dr. Karan Shah who discovered the Reptile named Japalura dasi said. Discovery of new species is a very lengthy process and one should have a great passion to get the achievement.”

The Himalayas are home to an estimated 10,000 plant species, 300 mammal species, 977 bird species, 176 reptiles, 105 amphibians and 269 freshwater fish.

Source : The Himalayan Times

August 11, 2009

94 Species found in last decade

About 94 species of plants, animals, and invertebrates were discovered in the country in the last 10 years from 1998 to 2008, a World Wildlife Fund (WWF) report released on Monday said. The report on “The Eastern Himalayas – Where Worlds Collide”details the discoveries of scientists from various organizations in the region spanning Bhutan, the north eastern Indian states of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, North Bengal and Sikkim, Burma, Nepal and Southern part of Tibet. 

Over 350 new species were discovered in the eastern Himalayas including the world’s smallest deer and a gecko species dating  to 100 million years. Ninety – four species were discovered in the last decade in Nepal alone. They include 40 plants, 36 vertebrates, 7 fish, 2 amphibians, and 9 reptiles,  the report stated.  

According to Ghanshyam Gurung, country conservation officer at WWF, one of the most remarkable discoveries in Nepal was the Heterometrus nepalensis, a scorpion new to the world, discovered in Chitwan National Park in 2004.

“The discovery was significant as it was the first species of scorpion discovered in the country,” he said. Similarly, Psilorhynchus nepalensis, a fish species was discovered from the Budi Rapti River, near CNP in 2008. Hylarana chitwanensis, a frog species was another major discovery.

The Himalayan Eco system provides vital habitats for different globally threatened mammals including the rhino, tiger and snow leopard among others, along with many threatened bird and plant species.

“ Despite conservation efforts, the Himalayan ecosystem is under grave threat due to forest destruction, poaching, illegal wildlife trade, poorly- planned   infrastructure and over grazing by domestic livestock among others,” said Anil Manandhar, country director of WWF on Monday.

Beside the host of human induced and natural calamities, climate change is adversely impacting the Himalayas ecosystem through increased temperature, altered precipitation pattern, receding glaciers and threats from glacier lake outburst floods.

“All the countries who share the Himalayan ecosystem should come together with appropriate forms of systematic collaboration and exchange of information leading towards conservation of the Himalayas,” said Deepak Bohara, minister for forest and soil conservation.

The Eastern Himalayas are known to harbour a staggering 10,000 plant species, 300 mammals, 977 bird species, 176 reptiles, 105 amphibians and 269 types of fresh water fish. 

  
 Source: The Kathmandu post

August 6, 2009

Rhino poacher held

Police held Arjun Sen,a resident of Rolpa, on Wednesday from the Bhurigaun on the charge of poaching a one - horned rhino. According to the assisstant conservation officer at Bardiya National Park (BNP), Ramesh Kumar Thapa, the accussed had absconded after he killed an endangered rhino inside the park on April 26,2008.

Source: The Kathmandu Post

August 5, 2009

Illegal bird trade threatens huchil existence 

When a pair of owls was recently found dead in a forest in Lumbini, Hem Sagar Baral, a senior ornithologist feared the worst.On examining the feathers of the birds, which he figured had probably been killed by illegal bird traders, Baral’s fears were confirmed: the carcasses were that of the endangered Eurasian Eagle Owls (Bubo bubo), commonly known as huchil.

The poachers responsible for the birds’ deaths had managed to kill more than the two owls at one go: not only are these owls endangered, they are also a tourist attraction in Lumbini.

This is the fifth time this year that these endangered birds have been found killed, and it points to a fast-growing trade in this species of owls. In fact, say experts, the trade in these birds is probably the fastest-growing trade of its kind in the country--one that could lead to the birds’ completely vanishing from Nepal’s forests.

The growth in the owls’ trade has baffled ornithologists here--for they still do not know what is driving the trade. The experts say that in the Nepali markets at least, the owls do not have medicinal or economic value: the bird’s body parts are not used in folk medicine here; and there are no labs in the country conducting tests on them. The experts can only surmise that the birds are being shipped to the Middle East.

“They are probably being smuggled, through a network of dealers, to other countries,” says Baral. He says that there are indications that bird is in demand in the Middle East, and that the live ones probably end up as pets and the dead ones probably end up as research-fodder in laboratories that conduct research on the night-vision capabilities of the owls.

But the experts still do not understand why bird traders have zeroed in on this particular species of owls in the first  place. “Yes, there are rumours that these owls fetch large amounts in the international markets, but the figures cited seem to be exaggerated,” says ornithologist Suchit Basnet.

But whatever the cause for the trade’s growth, the experts all agree that the Eurasian Eagle Owl--the world’s largest owl species and endemic to south Asia only (except for Sri Lanka and Maldives)--must be protected. “There is a need to increase vigilance in the field and at the major trade centres and exit points,” says Baral. “The government, customs and the police must all work together to ensure that the species is protected.”

Source: The Kathmandu Post

July 31, 2009

Stop illegal trade of Rhesus Macaques