No scientific survey on wildlife yet

Bishnu Prasad Aryal
Kathmandu, March 31

A bulk of wildlife, the valuable national resources, is on verge of extinction without a scientific survey in the country.

“No scientific survey on wildlife has been conducted to the biodiversity point of view yet,” said zoologist and researcher Prof Karan B Shah. “Many parts of the country are yet to be explored,” he said. “There is a high chance of wildlife disappearance before carrying out a research and inventory on it.”

Prof Shah, who has been rewarded with the Nature Conservation Award 2008 by the National Academy of Science and Technology, said the country rich for the natural biodiversity boasts of wide range of flora and fauna including rare species. “However, it is sorry to say that we don’t have any specific data on the available and existing wildlife.”

According to him, there are about 208 species of mammals, 53 amphibians, 58 lizards, 79 snakes, 862 birds, 185 fish and 665 butterflies in the country. “Numbers of insects, bacteria and other living beings under the earth may be disclosed only after the thorough research,” Shah said.

However, Dr Udaya Raj Sharma, secretary at the Ministry of Forestry and Land Conservation, said it was impossible to conduct survey for finding out every detail. “We adopt flagship-species method for the indicative density,” Sharma said, adding that tigers, rhinos and wild buffalos were recorded but failed to provide the data.

“Conservation doesn’t mean only to increase number of charismatic animals but also cares of all and healthy population,” Shah said. “In 2001, I visited Damodar Kunda area, where two mammals: wild ass (Kiang) and Tibetan Gazzel (Ghoaa), and a bird: Tibetan sand grouse (Bhotmaru parewa) were discovered new for Nepal.” Shah discovered Karan hareu snake in Nepal new for science sector.

The policy for conservation lacks the basics to encourage the researchers, he said. “The concerned authorities and policy makers haven’t realised the graveness of the issue,” Shah said. “Foreigners used to come to Nepal for the research and be partners with us but no one has come here since half-a-decade. We’re unable to invest in the researches.”

Sharma said that they should abide by the rules and conditions here. “No one is allowed to take biological samples away from here but the government will allow them to carry out study free of charge,” he added, indicating the smuggling of contrabands.

Shah revealed the smuggling has increased in a large scale despite ban on it. “Unless we will involve and promote communities with compensation schemes, the decline in wildlife population will continue till its extinction,” he added. “If we manage to save umbrella species, it will help preserve all.”


This news article was published in THE HIMALAYAN TIMES on April 1, 2009.