WWF - WWF in Nepal

WWF Nepal celebrates 20 years of conservation partnerships

2013-05-20

Amaltari, Chitwan – Partnerships, from the national to the grassroots level, that helped shape Nepal's conservation landscape were at the forefront of the celebrations of WWF Nepal's 20 years of office (1993-2013).

At a special ceremony organized to mark this day in the buffer zone of Chitwan National Park in Nepal's Terai Arc Landscape, more than 70 partner organizations were felicitated by WWF Nepal in recognition of their support and contribution in conservation. These included Government of Nepal's line Ministries and Departments, donor organizations, NGOs, enforcement agencies and community-based organizations. Dr. K. C. Paudel, Secretary of the Ministry of Forests and Soil Conservation, was the Chair of the event which saw the active participation of more than 1,000 community members.

"WWF Nepal's official presence started in 1993 with three people in a small room. Today, we have built a core family of nearly 100 staff and an extended one with the government, conservation agencies and the local community," stated Mr. Anil Manandhar, Country Representative of WWF Nepal. "Over these years, Nepal has witnessed significant advances in conservation all of which has been possible because of the power of partnerships," he added.

The past 20 years have seen significant conservation gains in Nepal. The landscape level approach to conservation, exemplified by the ambitious Terai Arc Landscape and Sacred Himalayan Landscape programs of the Government of Nepal in which WWF Nepal is an active partner, was initiated during this period. These programs have introduced important conservation strategies aimed at protecting and enhancing wildlife habitat, protecting and building populations of key species such as tigers, rhinos and snow leopards, and creating enabling policies and mechanisms related to addressing climate change, land use and trans-boundary conservation issues. This period has also helped build and strengthen an important link in conservation – the local communities – through which sustainable forest management and anti-poaching are now locally led and supported initiatives.

"The Government of Nepal has found a valuable partner in WWF," stated Dr. K. C. Paudel, Secretary of the Ministry of Forests and Soil Conservation. "We look forward to strengthening this partnership in the years to come so that Nepal can be a leading example in conservation," he added.

As part of the celebrations, WWF Nepal announced an important next step for the organization in conservation – the creation of sustainable villages – with Amaltari as the first village towards this end. A homestay program, a community clinic and a women-led micro-enterprise were launched as starting initiatives in providing alternate livelihoods and wellbeing opportunities for local communities in order to strengthen their motivation in conservation.

"WWF Nepal has recognized the role of local people in conservation," stated Mr. Prem Shankar Mardania, Chairperson of Amaltari Buffer Zone User Committee. "Just as conservation takes care of people, the people will take care of conservation," he added.

WWF and World Cyclist Foundation to promote the Green Hiker campaign

2013-05-16

Kathmandu, Nepal - WWF Nepal joined hands with Mr. Pushkar Shah, a world cyclist and leader of World Cyclist Foundation, in order to promote responsible tourism in Nepal's Himalayas under WWF's Green Hiker Campaign.

Honorable Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Mr Ram Kumar Shrestha, handed over a bicycle supported by WWF Nepal to Mr. Pushkar Shah amidst a ceremony in the capital today. Mr. Shah is presently undertaking an ambitious cycling expedition across Nepal's Great Himalaya Trail to promote tourism in the region with cycling being an avenue to attract more tourists in the region and, in effect, address the livelihoods of people. Through his expedition, WWF Nepal seeks to promote the message of responsible tourism in the Himalayas.

"The personal drive and initiative of Mr. Shah is indeed commendable," said Honorable Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Authority. "I will try my level best to ensure that his work is recognized by the government and that his endeavors are duly supported so that he can carry on in his unique mission of spreading world peace and now, environmental protection," he added.

Mr. Shah has been travelling the world in his bicycle for the past fifteen years spreading the message of world peace.

Speaking at the program, Mr. Shah said, "I will in the best possible way help spread the message of the Green Hiker Campaign and responsible tourism wherever I go. I thank WWF Nepal for the support provided to me. WWF is probably the only organization that has come forward to help."

"WWF Nepal sees a strong connect between tourism and conservation, and the Himalayas which is Nepal's biggest tourist attraction is also one of the hardest hit in terms of climate change," stated Dr. Ghana S Gurung, Conservation Program Director of WWF Nepal. "The Green Hiker campaign and this partnership with Mr. Pushkar Shah seek to create greater environmental awareness so that people can enjoy nature while ensuring that its pristineness is protected," he added.

Nepal Tourism Board in partnership with WWF Nepal launched the Green Hiker campaign in May 2011 on the occasion of the 4th International Sagarmatha (Mt. Everest) Day. The campaign is part of a Memorandum of Understanding between the two organizations to promote responsible tourism in Nepal.

###

Restoring forests and adapting to climate change – one step at a time

2013-04-26

"I was ill, I have even had heart surgery, and my health was deteriorating because of the smoke while cooking," shared Laxmi Rana, who is very happy to have installed biogas in her home with the help of the Hariyo Ban Program. Rana is from Jumdanda, one of the least developed regions in Bandipur Village Development Committee, in Tanahun District in the mid-hills of Nepal, where most women are tied to home and hearth. Today 25 households in Jumdanda have installed biogas. Rana says, "Now since less time is needed for gathering firewood, cooking, and cleaning, I have spare time to do other work." As well as saving women time and work, and reducing smoke in the kitchen which affects women and children, biogas helps to restore forests by reducing firewood extraction. Biogas plants provide methane gas for cooking; the gas is produced in a digester from livestock dung and waste from the family toilet. Since livestock are an essential part of the process, people keep livestock near their homesteads instead of in the forest, which also takes pressure off the forest by reducing trampling and browsing of young trees. Children have milk to drink, and spare milk can be sold to boost household incomes. Manure from the slurry that drains from the digester can be used to grow vegetables, which also improves household nutrition. Restored forests stabilize hillsides and improve water supplies. So, bringing biogas to Jumdanda helps women, children and the forest.

Currently Rana is using some of the time saved from household chores to act as the vice president of Jum Dada Jhapri Community Forest Users Group (CFUG), and today there are also many other women members in the CFUG committee. One of them is Sugmaya Thapa. On a high level monitoring visit of the Hariyo Ban Program, I accompanied government representatives and heads of partner institutions to Jumdanda where Thapa enthusiastically taught me the use of forest firefighting equipment - uncontrolled fire is a major threat to forests in Nepal. She lifted a shovel up, "We use this to create fire lines, and this," pointing at a yellow bag, "to fill water, so we can easily carry it on our backs," she instructed. Hariyo Ban has also provided forest fire management training and equipment to the locals in Jumdanda. "We did not have boots, gloves or helmets before, so obviously when the fire used to start on that hill," she said pointing to the north, "we burnt our hands and feet when we tried to control it. It was dangerous because we were wearing saris but now we even have protective suits."

Women in Jumdanda were not always this outspoken. The Hariyo Ban Program helped the community to establish a community learning and action center (CLAC), an informal forum to organize and gather marginalized , particularly women, Dalits, and poor to discuss issues of concern to them. These people are often the most dependent on the forest for their survival, but do not have a say in how the forests are managed and used. The focus of CLAC is to organize, empower and mobilize these communities around issues affecting their lives and livelihood for collective social action. Issues discussed in the CLAC range from environmental, social and economic to political. After these discussions the group normally generates community awareness and even tries to network with relevant service providers to seek solutions to their problems. In Jumdanda, through the CLAC, the group has established a local penalization rule to stop the problem of poaching and illegal harvesting of trees, and has even conducted a campaign on solid waste management in Bandipur.

The community learning and action center also provided training on climate change adaptation through a local resource person trained by Hariyo Ban Program. "I understand about climate change and its impact on our community and ecosystem now, and the need to develop climate smart adaptation practices," stated Rana. The CLAC group has now decided to prepare a Community Adaptation Plan of Action (CAPA) to address climate change impacts in Jumdanda. With the help of Hariyo Ban Program, the CLAC group will take the lead with other community organizations, including the community forest users groups (CFUGs) and local leaders to create a community adaptation plan for action. By the end of March 2013, Hariyo Ban Program had helped to prepare and implement 26 CAPAs in Nepal.

"We hope to prepare our community adaptation plan and leverage resources from stakeholders to implement it to address vulnerabilities to climate change," said Rana. The CAPA not only brings together the community to prepare a plan, thereby creating ownership, but also empowers them to address the adverse impacts of climate change by networking and mobilizing resources from local and national stakeholders. Hariyo Ban takes an integrated approach to climate adaptation, using ecosystems to help vulnerable people to adapt to climate change (for example, reducing the risk of landslides by restoring forests on steep hillsides), and at the same time working with local communities to build resilience of ecosystems to withstand the adverse impacts of climate change.

By Pallavi Dhakal, Communications Officer, Hariyo Ban Program, WWF Nepal

For further information,
Please e-mail: hariyobanprogram@wwfnepal.org
^{_{Disclaimer: The Hariyo Ban Program is made possible by the generous support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The contents of this article are the responsibility of WWF and its consortium partners and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government.}}

Miss Nepal 2013 Ishani Shrestha is WWF's Young Conservation Ambassador

2013-04-16

WWF Nepal appointed Ishani Shrestha, Miss Nepal – World 2013, as the eighth Young Conservation Ambassador at a ceremony in Kathmandu on 15 April 2013.

"WWF is pleased to appoint Ishani as our Young Conservation Ambassador," said Dr. Ghana S Gurung, Conservation Program Director of WWF Nepal. "During her tenure she will promote biodiversity conservation in Nepal through awareness and action." I would also like to acknowledge with gratitude Miss Nepal 2012, Shristi Shrestha for her active contribution to help raise awareness on WWF's conservation endeavors and also being the first Young Conservation Ambassador to fundraise for the local people of Ghunsa in Kanchenjunga.

Following in the footsteps of former Miss Nepal's and the global conservation organization's Young Conservation Ambassadors, Ishani will be actively involved in helping promote conservation especially among the youth.

"I would, in the best possible way, use this opportunity to raise awareness on conservation issues," said Ishani, the newly appointed Young Conservation Ambassador.

WWF Nepal started appointing The Hidden Treasure's Miss Nepal pageant winners as the Young Conservation Ambassador from 2004 and since then Payal Shakya, Sugarika KC, Sitashma Chand, Zenisha Moktan, Sadichha Shrestha Malina Joshi and Shristi Shrestha have contributed to disseminating the message of conservation through word and deed.

Earth Hour puts the 'you' in youth in Nepal

2013-03-24

Nepal's youth took centre stage on Earth Hour in what was called "the biggest gathering for the environment" in the picturesque lake-city of Pokhara attracting over 6,000 youth.

"Climate change poses a major threat to the biodiversity and communities of Nepal and the Himalayas, for which Pokhara is a key entry point, is one of the hardest hit," said Dr. Ghana S Gurung, Conservation Program Director at WWF Nepal. "Earth Hour gives people, especially the youth, the means to take concerted environmental actions and adopt climate-smart lifestyles that heals the earth," he added.

The event saw performances by two of Nepal's leading pop/rock artists, Nima Rumba and Abhaya & the Steam Injuns, using music as a medium to reach out to the youth on the need to make environmentally-smart choices.

Nepal's icon of the film industry and WWF's Goodwill Ambassador, Rajesh Hamal, and Miss Nepal 2012 and WWF's Young Conservation Ambassador, Shristi Shrestha, were the special guests at the event.

"Music is the fabric that binds us youth; Earth Hour is a platform that gives us a shared purpose," said Shristi Shrestha. "Through Earth Hour, I would like to call on the youth to join me to be the agents of change for the environment and to take the initiative to make a difference for a living planet," she added.

The Earth Hour event in Nepal was supported by the WWF Network and the Hariyo Ban Program. Pashchimanchal Hotel Association of Pokhara, Restaurant and Bar Association and Pokhara Tourism Council were the local partners of the event.

"Pokhara is a meeting point between the mountains and the terai in the Chitwan Annapurna Landscape, one of the two landscapes under the Hariyo Ban Program funded by USAID and implemented by a consortium of conservation partners led by WWF Nepal," said Ms. Judy Oglethorpe, Chief of Party, Hariyo Ban Program. "Pokhara gives us an ideal platform to showcase some of Nepal's natural riches, from the lakes to the adjoining community forests and the recently inaugurated world peace biodiversity garden, and stress on the need to address the impacts of climate change on our natural resources," she added.

On the occasion of Earth Hour, a clean-up campaign was also organized in the Fewa Lake as per the ongoing water hyacinth removal drive. Coordinated by the Pashchimanchal Hotel Association of Pokhara together with the support of Pokhara Municipality, the campaign brought together about 300 people including Mr. Rajesh Hamal who was the Chief Guest at the event.

Saga of the three conservation heroes

2013-03-20

On International Women's Day, 2013 Hariyo Ban Program recognized three individuals for their remarkable work as change agents in conservation and women's leadership promotion. They are from the two landscapes where Hariyo Ban Program works - Terai Arc Landscape (TAL) and Chitwan Annapurna Landscape (CHAL). Nanda Devi Kuwar from Kailali was given a special recognition for her bravery, and Durga Gole from Makwanpur and Ek Bahadur Budhathoki Magar from Gorkha were honored as outstanding female and male change agents respectively. Find out about their inspiring struggle and accomplishments below.

Risking her life for conservation

With her hands on her lap Nanda Devi Kuwar waits quietly and as her name is announced to recognize her bravery and courage, she walks slowly amid the echo of applause, holding her hands that are still recovering from injury.

On April 21, 2012, Nanda Devi was trying to prevent forest encroachment in Madhumalati Community Forest when she was brutally attacked by a gang involved in the encroachment. They cut her hands and tried to kill her. Despite the serious injury and risk to life, she selflessly continued to work for community forest conservation.

"The pain in my hands has reduced but I cannot work as I used to before. I am still dependent on others for everyday tasks like bathing and changing clothes," said Nanda. "I am happy to be recognized at the national level but the gravity of conservation issues at local level that I am fighting for daily is yet to be understood by my own community. We still have a long way to go but I am positive that people will understand the importance of conservation soon," added Nanda with determination.

Nanda Devi wakes up early in the morning to patrol the forest and talk to people about forest conservation and sustainable forest management. She is also fighting to ensure community forest users' rights to meet their needs. Despite the incident in the past, her courage and determination to work for forest conservation are still intact.

Mocked and ridiculed, but never abandoned hope

Durga Gole, 22, from Makwanpur, Churiyamai VDC was mocked and taunted by villagers for patrolling the forest and protecting local natural resources. "They used to demoralize and challenge me, telling me that they had cut trees to see whether I would dare to file a complaint to the police," reflected Durga. That was four years ago. Today things have changed in Churiyamai.

"My family used to be completely dependent on the forest for our livelihood. We cut trees and made alcohol for money to pay for our education and food. The entire local community was cutting trees and while it was lucrative, it had serious consequences for our forest," she said. "I was introduced to the idea of a sustainable future through conservation by WWF Nepal's Terai Arc Landscape (TAL) project. It helped me to question our community's way of life and made me realize the need to use our forest responsibly and conserve it. There has been no looking back since then."

Today, with a group of 23 women, Durga marches forward as the secretary of the 'All Women Anti-Poaching Unit' for regular patrolling of the Churiyamai Forest. She is currently also a youth leader in her community and is active in encouraging and mobilizing women's participation in conservation and anti-poaching activities. The unit coordinates with local officials to report illegal activities. They have also started microfinance cooperative to lend money to women interested in alternative livelihood options to reduce pressure on the forest.

"Today those who mocked and threatened me are working with me to conserve the forest. The community is not as dependent on the forest as before. I feel blessed and could not be happier," said Durga, a smile spreading across her face.

Breaking tradition for women's leadership

Ek Bahadur Budhathoki Magar is breaking with traditional thinking and is encouraging women into leadership positions in the Bhuwanisthan Chhipchhipe Community Forest in Gorkha. "Since women can manage their households and surroundings perfectly well, why should we doubt their leadership capability in managing our forests?" says Ek Bahadur. "By increasing the engagement of women, we ensure participatory forest management and improve our conservation efforts. However, while I have been trying hard to increase and promote female leadership, it has been difficult as they are mostly occupied with household chores," he added.

To attract women's participation, Ek Bahadur initiated a folk song competition on the theme 'Importance of women's leadership today'. "This proved to be a great way to generate awareness on women issues and boost their participation," he reflected.

When Ek Bahadur became the chairperson of Bhuwanisthan Chipchipe Community Forest Users Group four years ago, he immediately worked to change the gender ratio of the male-dominated executive committee. Today with his creative work, four out of 11 executive members are female. He smiles with a hint of satisfaction and says, "It is difficult to believe that we now even have a female vice-chairperson in our community forest users group."

_{By Pallavi Dhakal, Communications Officer, Hariyo Ban Program, WWF Nepal}

_{For further information,
Please mail: hariyobanprogram@wwfnepal.org}

^{_{Disclaimer: The Hariyo Ban Program is made possible by the generous support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The contents of this article are the responsibility of WWF and its consortium partners and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government.}}

In harmony with nature

2013-03-20

Having just travelled six hours from his village in Palpa to Pokhara to take part in a song competition, 22-year-old Toya Biswakarma had every reason to be exhausted. But a smile played on his lips, and he expressed happiness at being given the platform to display his singing talents. Biswakarma, who has been visually challenged since birth, is determined to focus on his talents. This made him enter his name for the song competition organized by the Hariyo Ban Program. After emerging as the winner from over 30 participants in Gulmi and Palpa Districts, he managed to clinch the second place in the landscape level song competition held on February 24 in Pokhara.

"This is a very good platform," said Biswakarma, content even after missing the first position, "The subject matter set for this competition is quite apt, too. We all need to understand that the absence of forests means extinction of our existence." As for handing over leadership roles to women, the major theme of the competition, he opined, "Women should definitely be promoted to decision-making levels. With their sensitivity and gentleness, they will add a new dimension to conservation."

The competition was part of Hariyo Ban's campaign for the 103rd International Women's Day, under the theme of 'Amplifying unheard voices of women's leadership in conservation and climate change.' The campaign was directly aligned with Hariyo Ban's goal to reduce impacts of climate change and threats to biodiversity in Nepal, highlighting the work of local women who have been selflessly working to conserve and restore forests, and yet who are often not adequately empowered to do this. Auditions were held in six districts of Chitwan Annapurna Landscape (CHAL). The two participants from each district chosen from this audition competed one more time in Pokhara before one winner each was selected from the poem and song category.

The winners for CHAL were Basanta Subedi from Kaski and Uday Nepali from Mustang, both of whom managed to articulate the innate relationship between women leadership and conservation. Nepali, who traveled a long way from his mountain district, focused on the need of women leaders in every sphere of life. "No effort is too small to raise awareness about women leadership, and I could not let such a chance go. I truly believe that only when we men speak out and cooperate with women can they voice their problems. Besides, women are the ones relegated to the home and hearth, they are the ones who have to deal with problems such as depleting water sources and fuel, which is why they need to be at the forefront to decide about the best use of natural resources."

Two days later, a similar scenario of bonhomie laced with competition occurred in Chitwan, where seventeen contestants gathered. Just like in CHAL, these contestants had been selected from districts in the Terai Arc Landscape (TAL). Their songs and poems spoke of the pain women faced due to declining natural resources, the courage they showed in conserving their biodiversity, and the challenges they encounter each day in their endeavors. The hopeful voices mesmerized one and all, and the final choice of the judges – Jayananda Joshi 'Paramhamsa' for his rousing poetry and Ritu Lama for her mellifluous song – were appreciated by all present. Speaking out about the message of her song, Ritu explained eloquently, "My point is that women are as capable of doing things that men are, it is only the rights and official positions that they lack. But even this is not deterring women, as they are personally carrying out their quest to save forests and wildlife. This is because it is especially women who bear the brunt of environmental crises."

The issues highlighted in the songs and poems have raised awareness and understanding of women's hopes and struggles for their forests. When the overall winner, Ritu Lama, was finally announced on March 8, 2013 at an International Women's Day Hariyo Ban event judged by seven eminent judges, she expressed elation at the chance to have the songs and poems recorded and played back through national and local media. This process will not only highlight conservation issues that are pertinent to the region, but should also inspire men and women to join hands together for conservation and a better future. The campaign, which focused on raising voices from the local to the national level on best practices and challenges faced by women active in natural resource management through their inspiring stories via song and poetry, came to an inspiring end with a young female winner who is passionate about changing the world for the better through her words and actions. Thanks to all the competitors for their inspiring work!

_{By Richa Bhattarai, Communications Associate, Hariyo Ban Program, WWF Nepal

For further information
Please mail: hariyobanprogram@wwfnepal.org}

^{_{Disclaimer: The Hariyo Ban Program is made possible by the generous support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The contents of this article are the responsibility of WWF and its consortium partners and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government.}}

Amplifying the voices of women leaders in conservation and climate change

2013-03-15

KATHMANDU – Complementing the global theme of the 103rd International Women's Day, "A promise is a promise: Time for action to end violence against women", the USAID-funded Hariyo Ban Program on 8th March 2013 held the finale of a campaign "Amplifying unheard voices of women's leadership in conservation and climate change" that started on 7th February 2013.

The campaign focused on raising voices from the local level to the national, on best practices and challenges faced by women active in natural resource management through their inspiring stories via song and poetry. The program held auditions in the two landscapes where Hariyo Ban works – in six districts of Chitwan Annapurna Landscape (Kaski, Tanahu, Lamjung, Gorkha, Palpa and Mustang) and nine districts of Terai Arc Landscape (Dhading, Makawanpur, Chitwan, Nawalparasi, Dang, Banke, Bardia, Kailali and Kanchanpur). Winners from these districts participated in landscape-level semi-finals held in Pokhara (24th February 2013) and Chitwan (27th February 2013). From each landscape two finalists were chosen to participate in Kathmandu on 8th March 2013. The Hariyo Ban Program also recognized two woman and man change agents who have worked to promote women's leadership in conservation and climate change.

Ms. Ritu Lama from Hetauda, Makawanpur won the song category and Mr. Basanta Subedi from Hemja, Kaski won the poetry category at national level. Besides winning prizes, the finalists will have their songs and poems recorded, and the winners will have their creations aired on national radio and FM stations in several working districts of the Hariyo Ban Program, as part of generating awareness on women's roles in conservation and climate change. In addition, Ms. Durga Gole form Makwanpur and Mr. Ek Bahadur Budhathoki Magar from Gorkha were recognized for their exceptional work in promoting women's engagement in conservation and increasing women's participation in decision making as change agents respectively by the Hariyo Ban Program. In addition to this Ms. Nanda Kunwar from Kailali was given special recognition to honor her bravery, leadership and high level of commitment in conservation and climate change. Similarly, Ms. Churim Sherpa, the first woman to ascend Mount Everest twice in the same season, was felicitated for her bravery by Conservation Program Director of WWF Nepal, Dr. Ghana S Gurung, and Miss Nepal 2012 and WWF's Young Conservation Ambassador, Ms. Shristi Shrestha.

Chief Guest Ms. Anuradha Koirala, CNN hero 2010 and Chairperson of Maiti Nepal said, "Being women, we are at the frontline of climate change, both as the sufferers and also as the ones creating alternative strategies and solutions. Climate change has a big gender dimension and hence it is important that women's voices and interests are heard and amplified through meaningful representation." She added, "Women are also honest conservers, true leaders and sustainable change makers, and celebration at events such as this one for International Women's Day organized by the Hariyo Ban Program will provide further momentum to promote women's leadership roles in conservation and climate change."

Nepal's poorest and most disadvantaged people including women depend heavily on forest resources for their livelihoods. Inequitable distribution of rights, resources and power, and repressive cultural rules and norms constrain them from fully engaging in and benefitting from natural resource management and climate adaptation. Out of Nepal's 75 districts, only 14 have women chairpersons in their Community Forest User Groups (CFUGs). These 14 chairpersons were also felicitated at the event by FECOFUN Chairperson Ms. Apsara Chapagain and CNN Hero 2010 Ms. Anuradha Koirala for their untiring contribution towards conservation.

"Increasing opportunities for women to raise their voices and take on decision-making roles is a special focus of USAID programs, including Hariyo Ban", said special guest at the event, Ms. Sheila Lutjens, Deputy Mission Director, USAID/Nepal. "Particularly for sustainable natural resource management efforts in vulnerable ecosystems, women's stewardship role is essential and so is addressing social, economic, health, cultural and financial barriers that inhibit women from managing their resources sustainably."

Building on the work of Hariyo Ban Program in Nepal Ms. Judy Oglethorpe, Chief of Party remarked, "The Hariyo Ban Program has gender and social inclusion (GESI) as a key cross-cutting approach, helping empower both women and men to challenge and change deeply rooted inequalities and improve the policy environment. Further, because many young men have migrated overseas for work women are going to become much more responsible for sustainable forest management in the future, emphasizing the importance of promoting women's leadership in conservation. However, with the rise of active participation of women in natural resource management, the risk of gender based violence, both physical and psychological, has also increased. And compared to gender based violence in other sectors, violence in natural resource management is rarely highlighted or talked about in our media. The campaign has provided both men and women a platform to build awareness on this issue at national level."

For further information:
Pallavi Dhakal
pallavi.dhakal@wwfnepal.org
Communications Officer, Hariyo Ban Program
WWF Nepal

_{^{Disclaimer: The Hariyo Ban Program is made possible by the generous support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The contents of this website are the responsibility of WWF and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government.}}

Local youths unite to curb wildlife crimes

2013-03-14

Nepal witnessed a mass gathering comprising 5,000 passionate youth and members of community-based anti-poaching units in Khata Corridor, Bardia to mark the fourth annual Community-Based Anti-Poaching Unit (CBAPU) Day on 10 March 2013. The event was supported by WWF Nepal under the Government of Nepal's Terai Arc Landscape Program.

One thing that unites the youth of the landscape is biodiversity conservation; through the anti-poaching units, the youth have come together on a voluntary basis to help protect their forests from illegal logging, poaching and wildlife crimes.

"Since the establishment of CBAPU, the involvement of communities in curbing illegal wildlife crime has been increasing with each passing day," stated Mr. Hari Ram Tharu, Chairperson of a Community Based Anti-Poaching Unit. "It is now time that the government of Nepal recognizes our effort and declare March 10 as a National Day," he added.

The event also saw the active participation of government authorities, representatives from diplomatic mission and conservation partners.

Secretary of the Ministry of Forests and Soil Conservation, Dr. Krishna Chandra Paudel said, "It is very encouraging to see the seamless efforts of the local communities in combatting wildlife crime. This is an indication that together we will be able to achieve zero poaching of our flagship species in Nepal."

At the event, the chief guest of the program Dr. Krishna Chandra Paudel, Secretary of Ministry of Forests and Soil Conservation, felicitated WWF Nepal for continuously supporting the Government of Nepal's Terai Arc Landscape program particularly with regard to biodiversity conservation in Bardia National Park.

Similarly, other key personalities from various walks of life, including Mr. Shiv Raj Bhatta, Deputy Director of Terai Arc Landscape Program-WWF Nepal and Dr. Shant Raj Jnawali, Coordinator of Biodiversity for Hariyo Ban Program-WWF Nepal were felicitated for their contribution in biodiversity conservation in Bardia National Park.

Speaking at the program, Dr. Ghana S Gurung, Conservation Program Director of WWF Nepal said, "Conservation and addressing the threats towards the same requires strong ownership and leadership starting with the grassroots level. WWF Nepal is proud to have joined hands with the local communities and youth in helping protect the natural heritage of Nepal."

Special guests at the event, Mr. Rajesh Hamal, Nepal's leading cinema artist and WWF's Goodwill Ambassador, and Ms. Shristi Shrestha, Miss Nepal 2012 and WWF's Young Conservation Ambassador, expressed their individual support to end wildlife crimes and called upon individuals and organizations alike to take proactive steps to curb this biggest threat to wildlife.

New study reveals scale of persistent illegal tiger trade

2013-03-07

Bangkok, Thailand, 7th March 2013—Parts of more than 1400 Tigers have been seized across Asia in the past 13 years, according to TRAFFIC's latest analysis of confiscations, which includes new data for 2010-2012.

Reduced to Skin and Bones Revisited finds that parts of at least 1425 Tigers had been seized across all but one of the 13 Tiger range countries between 2000 and 2012. For Cambodia alone, no seizures were recorded at all during the period.

Although it is not yet possible to show a definite trend, the analysis provides clear evidence that illegal trade in Tigers, their parts and products, persists as a major conservation concern, says TRAFFIC.

A total of 654 seizures of Tiger parts ranging from skin to bones, to teeth, claws and skulls took place during this period, an average of 110 Tigers killed for trade per year or just over two per week.

89% of seizures occur outside protected areas, emphasizing the importance of anti-trafficking actions to disrupt trade chains and prevent incursions into Tiger habitat. The benefits of such analysis to enhance law enforcement efforts to protect Tigers are obvious.

"If more robust information was routinely collected, analysed and shared between countries, real inroads could be made into targeting the smuggling syndicates behind Tiger trafficking," said Natalia Pervushina, Tiger Trade Programme Leader for TRAFFIC and WWF.

The report, a joint effort by TRAFFIC and the WWF Tigers Alive Initiative, was launched today at the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) meeting currently underway in Bangkok, Thailand. Later this week governments will debate efforts underway to protect Tigers and other Asian big cats.

A significant finding in the updated analysis was increased recording of seizures involving live Tigers – 61 individuals were seized in the three-year period since the last full CITES meeting took place in 2010, representing 50% of overall numbers (123) recorded since 2000. Thailand was the most significant location for interdiction of live Tiger trade (30 Tigers), followed by Lao PDR (11) and Indonesia (9) and Viet Nam (4).

"Given the low population estimates for wild tigers in Thailand, Lao PDR and Viet Nam, combined with the presence of captive Tiger facilities within these three countries, there are serious questions as to the source of these live Tigers in trade," said Nick Cox, Species Programme Manager for WWF-Greater Mekong.

Of the 13 Tiger range countries (Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Russia, Thailand, Viet Nam), only India had kept sufficiently detailed seizure records to allow meaningful analysis to identify the 'hotspots' where Tiger trade was taking place.

Based on the information from India, five 'hotspot' locations were identified, including Delhi, while the other four were close to protected areas in different parts of the country (Uttar Pradesh, central India, West Bengal (Sundarbans) and the southern India landscape of the Western Ghats).

"The quality of the information from India allowed us to perform a spatial analysis and pinpoint the key locations where Tiger trade is taking place," said Sarah Stoner, TRAFFIC's Tiger Trade Data Specialist and author of the report. "Countries should be made to keep to their commitments under CITES to protect wild Tigers by providing robust reporting on the current situation."

Under agreements made at earlier CITES meetings, Tiger range countries have to state what action they have taken to protect Asian big cats. As of the start of the CITES meeting currently underway in Bangkok, only China, India and Thailand1 had submitted appropriate reports in compliance with a CITES requirement to do so.2

WWF and TRAFFIC are urging countries engaged in the Global Tiger Recovery Program to develop a harmonized process for reporting to the GTRP that will also fulfil the requirements of CITES with respect to Tigers.

-ENDS-

For further information contact

Dr. Richard Thomas, TRAFFIC's Global Communications Co-ordinator, Richard.thomas@traffic.org, +66 904 169 478

Notes

1 Russia also submitted a report, but not in the appropriate format.
2 CITES Resolution 12.5 (Rev. CoP15) on the Conservation of and trade in Tigers and other Appendix-I Asian big cat species.

Thai prime minister announces end to ivory trade

2013-03-03

Bangkok, Thailand – Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra today pledged to end ivory trade in Thailand, seizing a key opportunity to stem global wildlife trafficking. Her statement came after the call of nearly 1.5 million WWF and Avaaz supporters.

Prime Minister Shinawatra said at the opening of the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Fauna and Flora (CITES) in Bangkok that Thailand would take steps to end ivory trade – the first time the Thai government has said this publicly.

"As a next step we will forward amending the national legislation with the goal of putting an end on ivory trade and to be in line with international norms," Prime Minster Shinawatra said. "This will help protect all forms of elephants including Thailand's wild and domestic elephants and those from Africa."

Ending ivory trade in Thailand – currently the world's largest unregulated ivory market – will go a long way in stemming a global poaching crisis that is leading to the slaughter of tens of thousands of elephants each year and fuelling a global criminal trade in animal parts.

"We're thrilled to hear that Prime Minister Shinawatra took this opportunity to seize the global spotlight and pledge to end ivory trade in her country. But the fight to stop wildlife crime and shut down Thailand's ivory markets is not over. Prime Minister Shinawatra now needs to provide a timeline for this ban and ensure that it takes place as a matter of urgency, because the slaughter of elephants continues," said Carlos Drews head of WWF's delegation to CITES.

Thailand is currently the largest illegal ivory market behind China. Officials have certified 67 authorized ivory vendors. However, market surveys have found ivory in more than 250 shops. Much of this ivory is purchased by foreign tourists.

The prime minister's decision comes as WWF and TRAFFIC continue asking CITES governments to sanction countries fuelling the global illegal wildlife trade. Poaching has escalated to crisis levels in recent years, and is a major threat to iconic species such as elephants, rhinos and tigers.

Thailand, Nigeria and Democratic Republic of Congo have failed repeatedly to address their rampant domestic ivory markets despite CITES rules that outlaw the unregulated sale of ivory. Under treaty rules, CITES member states can recommend that parties stop trading with non-compliant countries in the 35,000 species covered under the convention, from timbers to crocodile skins.

-ENDS-

Note: this version corrects a quote by PM Shinawatra that was improperly attributed.

For further information:

Ian Morrison, ian.morrison@wwfus.org, (US) +1 202 372 6373, (Bangkok) +66 904 143 853

Alona Rivord, arivord@wwfint.org, (Swiss) +41 79 959 1963, (Bangkok) +66 904 141 826

Nepal and India stresses on mutual cooperation on biodiversity conservation

2013-02-25

The third regional trans-boundary meeting held in Kathmandu on 21 February 2013, gathered senior Forestry Officials from Nepal and Sikkim, India, who mutually agreed on some significant steps towards conserving biodiversity of the border regions extended between the state of Sikkim in India and the Kanchenjunga region in Nepal.

With an aim to further strengthen the trans- boundary cooperation, authorities of the bilateral meeting agreed to identify potential area for a bi-national peace park and proceed for its official declaration. At the meeting, authorities also agreed to initiate a collaborative research and monitoring of snow leopards and their prey base and strengthen and manage wildlife corridors and connectivity in the region.

"A bilateral meeting like this is very instrumental in fostering wildlife and biodiversity conservation and curbing wildlife trade in the border region" said Mr. Mohan Koirala, Director of the Eastern Regional Forest Directorate of Nepal. "From this meeting we will also explore a way out to fortify eco-tourism that would provide the locals with some income generation activities since both regions have a huge tourism potential" Koirala added.

"The Indian side of Sikkim and Nepal share some of the most astonishing and bewildering biodiversity," said Mr. Pradeep Kumar, Chief Wildlife Warden, Forests, Environment and Wildlife Management Department of Sikkim. "This trans boundary meeting will be a major step in conserving biodiversity as well as sharing some of the best practices in conservation between the two countries which are culturally similar" Mr. Kumar added.

At a meeting, a publication on "Joint Monitoring at the Indo-Nepal Border – In the Sacred Himalayan Landscape" published jointly by WWF Nepal and WWF India was launched. WWF Nepal provided financial and technical assistance to organize the bilateral meeting.

Nepal a transit point for trading wildlife parts

2013-02-14

The recent confiscation of Shahtoosh wool has prompted a suspicion that Nepal has long been used as a transit point to smuggle Shahtoosh to external countries.

On 3 February 2013, the team from the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) detained Chhetan Lama, Tembal Lama and Pantu aka Aampe along with confiscating 400kg of Shahtoosh wool in Dhading disrict. Chhetan and Tembal are the residents of Dhading district whereas Pantu is a Tibetan national who came to Nepal about two months back to help Chhetan and Tembal find the Chiru habitat in a Tibetan village bordering Gorkha district.

Their arrest led the CIB to identify that the Shahtoosh wool, confiscated from Gorkha district about a month ago and recently in Dhading, was trafficked by the same racketeers, Chhetan, Tembal and Pantu. The trio absconded since the CIB seized the Shahtoosh wool in Gorkha district.

Likewise, the joint team of CIB and Department of Forests arrested Bhupen Ghale, a resident of Nuwakot, with one red panda skin on 4 February 2013 from Nuwakot district.

On a separate mission carried out by the team from Bardia National Park and Shuklaphanta Wildlife Reserve Rajan Bahadur Thapa was arrested with a tiger bone on 4 February 2013. Thapa who was long involved in smuggling tiger parts was arrested while he was trying to sell the tiger bone to a client.

If found guilty the culprits can be fined Rs 75000,000 of face up to 10 years in jail or both.

Tiger Survey in the Terai Arc Landscape

2013-02-05

NEPAL INITIATES FIELD OPERATIONS FOR TIGER SURVEY

Shuklaphanta Wildlife Reserve, Nepal - Nepal officially inaugurated the field operations of the joint tiger survey being conducted by the governments of Nepal and India in the Terai Arc Landscape, starting with Shuklaphanta Wildlife Reserve, one of the three survey blocks in far-western Nepal. The field operation involving the use of camera traps, line transects and occupancy surveys was kick-started by a rigorous two-day training program organized by WWF Nepal for the field staff.

Mr. Yadu Bansha Jha, Honorable Minister for Forests and Soil Conservation of the Government of Nepal, was the chief guest of the inaugural event. In the backdrop of the survey, he expressed the government's commitment to double the number of wild tigers by 2022.

Similarly, Mr. Megh Bahadur Pandey, Director General of the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation, stressed on the need to tackle the issues of illegal wildlife trade, habitat loss and prey-base availability as key measures to help bring back tiger populations in the wild.

Dr. Ghana S. Gurung, Conservation Program Director of WWF Nepal, also highlighted the issue of human-wildlife conflict and the need to take proactive measures to mitigate and manage the same as Nepal strove to achieve the TX2 goal.

Following Shuklaphanta Wildlife Reserve, field operations will consequently be initiated in the remaining survey blocks in Bardia (mid-western Nepal) and Chitwan (central Nepal) within the second week of February. The tiger and prey-base survey in Nepal is a joint effort of the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation, Department of Forests, WWF Nepal, USAID funded Hariyo Ban Program and National Trust for Nature Conservation (NTNC).

World Wetlands Day Observed

2013-02-02

Today is the World Wetlands Day.

Wetlands are prized for their rich natural diversity, as well as their cultural value.The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance has declared 9 wetland sites in Nepal.

With the slogan "WETLANDS TAKE CARE OF WATER" this day was celebrated in Jagadishpur Lake of Kapilvastu district, under the leadership of Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation (DNPWC) and with the support from conservation partners like WWF Nepal.

WWF Nepal is supporting the Government of Nepal to conserve and use these wetlands wisely in order to achieve sustainable development. WWF's assistance to Nepal's Government has been instrumental in declaring 4 High Altitude Wetlands, namely Gokyo, Gosaikunda, Rara and Phoksundo to the Ramsar sites in 2007 and preparing the site management plan of Gosaikunda which was endorsed by the Government of Nepal. WWF Nepal has also carried out studies on cultural, religious and spiritual significances of wetlands.

In order to mark the annual World Wetlands Day, WWF Nepal organized various programs in Gosaikunda and Indrawati today to raise awareness on Wetlands conservation. WWF also organizes a Green Hiker Program annually to the wetland sites in order to aware people to become responsible towards Nature.

Forestry for Nepal's Prosperity Presented at Washington D.C.

2013-02-01

WASHINGTON D.C. - Dr. Krishna Chandra Paudel, Secretary of the Ministry of Forests and Soil Conservation, presented Nepal's vision for the future of forestry in Nepal and its importance to the country's economic prosperity at an exclusive event at WWF-US on Wednesday, January 30.

The event, co-hosted with the Embassy of Nepal, was attended by partners and officials including from the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Forest Service. Welcome remarks were made by His Excellency Dr. Shankar Sharma, Ambassador of Nepal to the United States.

Dr. Paudel highlighted the government of Nepal's recently endorsed strategy on forestry for prosperity that will create green jobs, promote economic growth, and ensure environmental sustainability.

He laid out a framework that stressed the importance of developing business models that integrate and promote tourism in key national parks and protected areas. The business models will also stimulate the sustainable production of forest products.

This new approach to forest management will be a fundamental pillar of economic growth in Nepal. The ongoing contribution of partners like WWF was acknowledged in order to achieve this ambitious vision.

Public Hearing and Public Auditing helps minimize corruption

2013-01-25

Ekendra Sunuwar from Kailali, Sugarkhal is very happy. Recently at the start of Hariyo Ban Program activities the Wandali Community Forest Users Group from Sugarkhal gathered for the first time for a public hearing. "In our public hearing around NRs 99,072 was caught in embezzlement and official steps were taken to retrieve the money immediately from the perpetrators. The communities here have understood the importance and effectiveness of Public Hearing and Public Auditing, and now we are committed to continue this every year and to take relevant actions against anyone involved in corruption," says Ekendra Sunuwar.

CARE Nepal and FECOFUN, consortium partners of the Hariyo Ban Program, are very active in strengthening governance of natural resource management (NRM) groups through Participatory Governance Assessment (PGA), Community Learning and Action Centers (CLACs), Participatory Well Being Ranking (PWBR), and PHPA. So far the Hariyo Ban Program has supported 147 NRM groups to conduct PHPAs.

PHPA is a recognized tool that promotes participation to strengthen transparency and accountability in institutions. The public hearing part of PHPA involves a participatory discussion session between a community forest users group's members and its executive committee. Here, information is shared and assessed on managerial activities and outcomes. In the public auditing part, financial transactions and group funds are reviewed.

"PHPA helps to sensitize both general members and the executive committee to fulfill their roles, rights and responsibilities by acting on provisions laid down in their constitution and operation plan. Several issues have been raised during PHPA such as inclusive representation in executive committees, transparency in decision making and financial transactions, allocation of group resources for pro-poor activities and recovery of misappropriated funds in the NRM groups," says Madhav Dhakal, Governance Specialist, Hariyo Ban Program, CARE Nepal. PHPA has acted as an expanded and inclusive negotiated space between empowered citizens and service providers.

Hariyo Ban trains local resource persons to facilitate the PHPA process in community forests. Local resource persons also capacitate NRM groups to conduct PHPA in a strategic manner. One of Hariyo Ban's important cross-cutting themes strengthening internal governance of NRM groups and their networks, is critically important to enhance the role of these groups as custodians of natural resources and ensure equitable benefit sharing amongst the group members, particularly the poorest and most marginalized.

For further information:
Pallavi Dhakal
Communications Officer, Hariyo Ban Program
WWF Nepal

_{^{Disclaimer: The Hariyo Ban Program is made possible by the generous support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The contents of this article are the responsibility of WWF and CARE Nepal and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government.}}

Communities come together to protect wetland

2013-01-25

The 12-hectare Tikauli Lake is located in Mrigakunja Buffer Zone Community Forest, Chitwan and is a part of the Bishazari lake system that contains 46 wetlands. Bishazari is a Ramsar site of international significance. Tikauli Lake forms part of Tikauli forest that is an important wildlife corridor, particularly for animals moving between the Siwalik hills range to the Mahabharat mountain range. Tikauli Lake is significant in many aspects – it provides important habitat for migratory birds and mugger crocodile, and also serves as a water hole for large mammals including endangered species such as elephant, rhinoceros and tiger.

Both Terai Arc Landscape (TAL) and Chitwan Annapurna Landscape (CHAL) are endowed with wetland ecosystems of international importance and provide refuge to diverse flora and fauna. However, almost all of these wetlands suffer encroachment from agricultural expansion, invasion of alien plant species, siltation, pollution and unsustainable use of wetland resources. Tikauli Lake is no exception.

The lake is seriously affected by invasive water plants, and the Hariyo Ban Program, WWF Nepal is supporting local communities to manually remove water hyacinth, water lettuce and water cabbage. So far the communities have joined hands and cleaned five hectares of the lake's surface. This should improve habitat and contribute to Tikauli's restoration, reducing the risk of this important wetland from drying out and enabling it to continue supporting populations of birds and large mammals.

Hariyo Ban proposes to restore major wetlands in core areas of both TAL and CHAL in the coming years through control of invasive alien plant species, and other restoration and management activities. It is working with the National Agricultural Research Council (NARC) of Nepal and Agricultural Research Service (ARS) in Florida, USA, to introduce biological control for invasive plants such as water hyacinth. Some wetlands with minimum human pressures are also suffering rapid plant succession, low water levels, or early dryness and siltation due to forest floods. These changes may be due to climate change, and Hariyo Ban is working with communities to raise awareness about climate change and its impacts.

For further information:
Pallavi Dhakal
Communications Officer, Hariyo Ban Program
WWF Nepal

^{_{Disclaimer: The Hariyo Ban Program is made possible by the generous support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The contents of this article are the responsibility of WWF and CARE Nepal and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government.}}

Training budding Citizen Scientists

2013-01-25

Sarada Jha is 25 years old and comes from Manpur Tapara-2, Bardia; she is training to become a Citizen Scientist. Citizen Scientists are youths and others from local communities who are involved in scientific activities such as the systematic collection, analysis and dissemination of data on forests, wildlife, water or climate. Sarada recently participated in a seven-day forest inventory training organized by the Hariyo Ban Program, WWF Nepal. "I have always been active in protecting forests and my family is very supportive. So, when the opportunity arose to train as a Citizen Scientist I happily seized it," says Sarada.

The forest inventory training was organized from 4th to 10th November, 2012 in Dalla Homestay, Bardia. Altogether 16 people (including 6 females) participated in the training. "This is my second training as a Citizen Scientist," says Sarada. "The first training helped me to understand about citizen science and my role as a citizen scientist. This training was technical as I learnt about Global Positioning System (GPS) program application, participatory rural appraisal mapping, participatory wellbeing ranking, tools of forest inventory, forest laws and guidelines, data analysis and details on forest survey. I am not very educated but I know how to use a computer. I can now create maps with a GPS at home," she adds. In addition to training, the Hariyo Ban Program also provides equipment to the scientists.

"Local communities are the custodians of natural resources. They have the most knowledge about their surroundings and in training them we help build capacity of communities to understand and address conservation issues; recognize changes in local ecosystems such as forest cover including invasion of alien plant species; monitor movement of wildlife; and ultimately develop local stewardship for overall conservation," says Shant Raj Jnawali, Biodiversity Coordinator, Hariyo Ban Program, WWF Nepal.

Citizen Scientists can reach out to places and communities that professional scientists may not be able to access easily, thereby contributing to conservation at both local and national level. They can also support professional scientists in many ways by providing systematic data and pictures, sharing their experiences or disseminating valuable information through conservation outreach programs in their own communities. The Hariyo Ban Program plans to undertake participatory biodiversity monitoring in critical corridors, bottlenecks, and biodiversity-rich community forests and sub-watersheds through trained citizen scientists.

For further information:
Pallavi Dhakal
Communications Officer
WWF Nepal

^{_{Disclaimer: The Hariyo Ban Program is made possible by the generous support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The contents of this article are the responsibility of WWF and CARE Nepal and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government.}}

Another milestone towards curbing wildlife trade in Nepal

2013-01-21

Nepal embarked on yet another achievement to curb wildlife trade in a string of arrests and seizures in less than one week involving wildlife parts in the country by the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) of Nepal Police together with other local police authorities.

In Gorkha district, which is about 160 kilometer west from Kathmandu, Nepal Police arrested Mingur Lama and Dorje Lama with two tiger skins and 53 kilograms of tiger bones on 11 January 2013. They were arrested while they were trying to smuggle the tiger parts to Tibet, China.

Likewise, on 12 January 2013, Nepal Police arrested Dhani Bahadur Tamang and Sukbahadur Tamang at Kakani pass of Nuwakot district and seized five full-size tiger skins and bones of seven tigers from them. The tiger parts were found inside rice bags in a van headed towards the Chinese border passing through Langtang National Park.

Following the 12 January arrests, the authorities carried out an investigation to locate and arrest the main culprit who was running this racket from Kathmandu. Unfortunately, the person absconded before the police raided his house in Kathmandu; the police, however, were able to seize 12 pieces of garments partially made out of tiger and leopard skins, 10 small pieces of tiger and leopard skins, various items made out of ivory, 118 canine teeth, four human skulls, and cash amounting to about NRs. 4 million and 4,800 Chinese Yuan from his house.

Manaslu Conservation Area Office in Gorkha and the District Forest Office of Nuwakot are further investigating the cases. If proved guilty the culprits can be fined NRs. 50,000 to 100,000 or face 5 to 10 years of imprisonment or both.

WWF's Illegal Wildlife Trade Campaign launched in 2012 calls on governments in different countries to step up actions to put a stop to wildlife crimes. The recent spate of arrests, including the biggest seizure of Shahtoosh, underscores Nepal's commitment to curb the illegal trade of wildlife and their body parts.