Wildlife Times July 2010

Leonardo as elusive as Tiger during his visit in Nepal page 20

Price:Rs10/-www.citesnepal.org
Year 4 No. 23, July 2010

Contents
Editorial	2
Interview  with  Minister  for  Forest  and  Soil  Conservation  Hon'  Mr.  Deepak  Bohara	3
US  $350  million  plus  estimated  for  Global  Tiger  Recovery  Program	7
Book  Review:  Bones  of  the  Tiger  by  Hemanta  Mishra	10
New  challenges  in  conserving  Pakistani  snow  leopards	12

Editorial

_With the fall of the UML senior leader Mr. Madhab K Nepal led government and formation of new government in coming days, we are seeing a major turbulence in the politics of Nepal. As the parties are desperately trying to have piece of the ongoing action, they are not yet able to form new

government till date.

After Nepal was declared Republic in 2006, there have already been six forest ministers in Nepal. Gopal Rai was the first person to hold this position in Republic Nepal. He was followed by Dilendra Prasad Badu, Matrika Yadav, Dev Gurung, Kiran Gurung and Deepak Bohara.

The present forest minister, hon' Deepak Bohara, has initiated some noteworthy works related to wildlife conservation which is naturally been appreciated. Being a caretaker, naturally he will not have much things to do now a days, instead waiting for new government.

If he spent sometime in this "waiting period" preparing a dossier of his success and failure of last one year, it could be a guideline for his successor. Honesty from any politician is rare in today's time. If the minister takes time to write down his initiation and aspiration of it, decisions and its implications, success and reasons, failures and causes, this would surely give him credibility and the succeeding minister can have a status quo of the ministry's programs with an objective analysis.

§

Recent visit by Hollywood actor Leonardo DiCaprio to Nepal is a sign of danger faced by tigers and the needs to work urgently to save it from brink of extinction. Sensing this situation, he has launched 'save tigers now' website for conservation of tiger with WWF and through his own organization ' The Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation'. This Foundation was established in 1998. It has actively fostered awareness of environmental issues by participating with such organizations as the Natural Resources Defense Council, where Leonardo is on the board of trustees; Global Green USA, where he serves as a board member; and the International Fund for Animal Welfare, where he is on the honorary board of directors. The participation of Hollywood actor to work for saving tigers gave a new hope to governments and conservationists of tiger-range countries.

2

Interview with Minister for Forest and Soil Conservation

Hon' Mr. Deepak Bohara

_Last year when UML leader Madhav Kumar Nepal led government was formed, Rastriya  Prajatantra  Party  (RPP)  was  among  22  parties  who  represented  in the parliament and supported the government. From RPP, Deepak Bohara was chosen to represent RPP in the cabinet. He became Minister of Forest and Soil conservation. It is after more than two decades that Deepak Bohara became cabinet

minister again. This is his first entry into the cabinet after the political changes in 1990 and 2004. Mr. Bohara being a veteran politician since Panchayat era, was a controversial figure thus conservation and forest fraternity welcomed him with lukewarm response. After days passed, though Madhav Kumar led government was under attack constantly by the Maoist as opposition right from the beginning. Many were speculating government would not survive for long. Despite the uncertainty of government's tenure, Deepak Bohara as a forest minister started to influence both his cabinets and colleagues including the Prime Minister and rank and file officers of Forest ministry. The result was he has proven himself as one of active and decisive forest minister after 1990 political change.

Some of his noteworthy initiatives include development and endorsement of the Bagmati Action Plan by the Cabinet, Declaration of GauriShankar, Api Nampa Conservation Areas, Banke National Park, signing of MoU with China, first SAWEN meeting in Kathmandu and reestablishing Nepal's leadership in conservation to name a few.

Now Prime Minister Madhav Kumar with intense pressure from Maoist has resigned from government. There will be a formation of new government later but Wildlife Times talked with Minister Deepak Bohara about his contribution and his legacy on Nepal's conservation issues.

1. What were the major conservation issues and problems piled up in your table when you were assigned to the post of forest minister last year?

Ø The major challenge for conservation for ministry is how to maintain the size of the forest. It is very difficult to maintain the size of the forest intact. The coverage of forest areas needs to be

maintained as Government has decided to have 40% minimum coverage of forest. Therefore, we have declaredthreeConservation Areas. When I came as a minister of Forest, the coverage of Conservation Areas was 19.6% of forest cover. The size of forest has gone up to 23.6% after the declaration of these three conservation areas.

Our aim is to make it up to 25%. More Conservation Areas are on pipeline. Right now, with our increased effort, the forest coverage in Nepal is 39%. But we are facing many difficulties in extending the forest areas. Many Community Forest Organizations are not happy with our proposal to declare Parsa extension that will be extended to 500 km

3

• Deepak Bohara with PM Madhab Kumar Nepal and International participants in Global Tiger Workshop

4.        What will be Nepal's role in Tiger summit to take place

	in	Russia			in	September
	of  this  year,  just  a  mere
	participant				or		leading
	role?
Ø	Before			going		to	Russia,
	we	will		have		Ministerial
	meeting			in		August		in
	Kathmandu					for	joined
	strategy. 70% of the tigers
	are  in  South  Asia  and  so
	strong		strategy  is				needed
	before going to Petersburg.
	Thirteen				countries			will
	participate				in	the	summit
	who		will		work		for	the

area. Similarly, Baglung, Jaljala proposal are on way to save the environment. But Community Forest organizations are not supporting our work.

2. Being a chair of global tiger forum, would you please outline the Nepal's global perspective of tiger conservation?

Ø  There are two aspects to tiger conservation. One is large area for tiger habitat and the other is good prey base. We have extended 1,000 sq.km. of area of

Banke National Park for this purpose which is potential

area	for	tiger	habitat.
We	have	also	increased
200+  areas  Buffer				Zone
of  Bardia		National		Park.

Number of adult tiger has increased with potential to double the tigers by 2022. We have few Trans-boundary problems with India where conservation areas like Katarniya Ghat, Balmiki and Dudhawa are connected to our National

Parks like Bardia, Chitwan, Shuklaphanta. Indian side will team up with us for joint management. Camera trapping shows that there is high movement of tigers within India and Nepal. Therefore, we have decided to join together and work for the management plans. These issues need to be solved to conserve tigers. We plan to have joint management. Numbers of tigers will only grow if there are areas, prey base and Nepal has both, and so we are positive.

3.        What is your assessment on outcome of tiger census 2009 Nepal? Is it encouraging, discouraging or status quo?

Ø The result is very encouraging. There were 90 adult tigers before. We have added on 27 tigers. With 121 adult tigers in Nepal now, we are positive that our strategies to double the tiger will surely work.

conservation  of  the  tigers.
Russian				Prime			Minister
Putin  is  taking  charge  of
the summit. We will discuss
on	strategies					for	doubling
the  tigers  by  2022  (T*2),
and  trans-boundary  issues
of	India				with		Bhutan,
Bangladesh, Myanmar and
Nepal.  Our  strategy  is  to
work			together.				We	will
also		formulate					plans	to
minimize					human-animal
conflict.					The		people
living			near			conservation
areas and buffer zones are
directly affected and unless
we	give			them  alternative
for		poverty				alleviation,
conservation						process		will
be difficult.
We also expect this summit
to  help  us  financially.  The
Global			Tiger			Summit		last
year		was		successful   with
serious					commitments.
Nepal  took  the  lead  and
completed all the activities.
We		have			fulfilled			our
commitments.  We  will  be
leading			the			countries		as
champions. Our knowledge

4

and our work proved we are serious and Nepal will be taken as an example.

5. As Indian government categorically refused to take World Bank grant on tiger, what will be its impact in Nepal?

Ø In an IDA project, the strategy is ‘you put 1 you get 2’. Nepal has already set aside 3 million for IDA project. But for any IDA project, there needs to be collaboration of 3 countries as prerequisite. Bangladesh and Nepal are already working for the initiation of the project while India is undecided about the collaboration and thus Bangladesh and Nepal are just hanging without any decision. If India does not want to join then World Bank should change the policy to help Nepal. World Bank is very positive and we may come up with strategies to increase the number of tigers.

6. You got international applaud for closing down the monkey breeding centre at Lele and releasing them again to wild and free, what made you to take this historic decision?

Ø  The main reason for taking this step is that the tests and

experiments			performed
on	these	animals		were
inhumane		and	abusive.

Monkeys should be allowed to live free and safe. We cannot let people abuse animals just for the sake of

	money. I would also like to
	express			my			appreciation
	to WWG for its campaign
	to raise awareness to close
	down the monkey breeding
	center.
7.	After		the			unprecedented
	death			of			monkey			in
	NagarjunaareaofShivapuri
	National				Park,			how		is
	your  ministry  working									to
	make		sure			the		remaining
	monkeys will be							safe and
	free in Nagarjuna?
Ø	Government						does		not
	have		enough					funds		to
	rehabilitate these mammals.
	We  had  no  option  but  to
	release		the				monkeys.  We
	released them to Shivapuri
	Nagarjuna					National			Park
	where they can live in their
	natural			habitat.				But	they
	are not in a bad condition.
	We	have					not	received
	any	complaints						from		the
	localities.  Few  deaths									are
	inevitable naturally, as they
	shift from captive to natural
	habitat but the death is not
	threatening						until  now.			It
	is  not  true  that  maximum
	numbers			of			monkeys			are
	dying.

8. In your opinion as international references mentions illegal wildlife trade is second big illegal trade second only to narcotics in the world, is this case for Nepal too?

Ø	Yes,  Illegal	wildlife	trade
	is  a  major  issue  and  one
	of   the   biggest   crimes   in
	Nepal. Rhino’s are poached
	excessively.	Whenever
	Kajiranga	rhino’s	are

poached there is poaching in Nepal. Poaching and wildlife trade has become an International racket now. Most of the poachers are from India. It has become an International nexus with Kathmandu as a hub for trade. We need awareness and anti poaching squads to control these illegal activities and conserve our wild animals. In our law, for killing animals, we have provision of 5-15 years imprisonment and few thousands fine. We propose that the imprisonment be increased for 15-20 years with 5-10 lakhs fine so that the poachers think about the consequence before they act. We need two things for conservation: awareness and re-examination of laws.

9. You initiated creating wildlife crime control bureau, when this came into action and what will be its structure?

Ø	With	the	next		budget,
	it  will  come  to  life.  The
	homework has been done.
	It is being discussed in the
	cabinets		of	committee.
	Different		sectoral		people
	like	custom,		armies   and
	police  will  be  members  of
	this  bureau.  It  will  have
	joint	coordinated			effort
	from	different   individual
	and departments.

10.    You declared three CAs, whatwouldbeconservation mgmt model of these CA?

• Hon’ minister Deepak Bohara on the way to Climate Change meeting at Everest Base Camp

proposal for headquarters in Kathmandu.

12.   What will be the impact of MoU signed with China?

Ø  The China has been very supportive to Nepal after signing MoU. They are not allowing items which are banned. The entry points between Nepal and China have been strict. China has taken this whole process very seriously, which has made it easier for Nepal to control poaching and illegal trade. This month we are going to sign MoU with

Ø  We have proposed three Conservation Areas: Gaurishankar, Appi Nampa Conservation Areas Park. Gaurishankar is going to be under the management of NTNC. The establishment of Conservation Areas will make people realize that conservation can give them opportunity for sustainable livelihood if it is managed properly.

As we can see in ACAP where we can see that local people are benefiting

from the establishment of conservation area which is managed by NTNC. GauriShankar has more potential. People will be

highly benefited. After the success of this project, we will use the same management model in other conservation areas.

11.	What		is	the		follow		up
	on	South   Asian					Wildlife
	Enforcement						Network
	(SAWEN)?
Ø	SAWEN			is		a	positive
	step		taken		to		control
	illegal			wildlife			trade.
	Nepal		has		proposed			to
	make		it’s		headquarter
	in	Kathmandu.					Nepal’s
	government				is	willing  to
	support			them		and		give
	contribution to control this
	illegal racket. We  are  now
	going  to  meet  in  Bhutan
	and		decide			about		our

India in 29^th  July. This will

be a milestone in the field

of   wildlife   conservation.

We   have   been   trying   to

sign  MoU  with  India  for

15 years and this historical

event will benefit both the

countries.

Nepal has raised its prestige in the world with its interest and dedication in the field of conservation where real conservation is taking place. World Bank has appreciated Nepal’s effort and many other conservation fraternities around the world have appreciated our effort and hard work.

US $350 million plus estimated for Global Tiger Recovery Program

• Pre-Tiger Summit meeting in Bali from 12-14 July, 2010

_Bangladesh,              Bhutan, Cambodia,   China,   India, Indonesia,  the  Laos,  Malaysia, Myanmar,      Nepal,      Russia, Thailand  and  Vietnam,  being custodians of the last remaining tigers  in  the  wild,  will  gather at  Global  Tiger  Summit  in  St. Petersburg, Russian Federation, from  15-18  September  2010, with the common goal of tiger

conservation.

In an effort to arrest this slide into extinction, leaders from 13 tiger nations gathered in Bali on 12-14 July to draft a declaration on Tiger conservation, as part of the Global Tiger Recovery Program. The program is led by the World Bank with coalition of international non-profit organizations. The centerpiece of the nations' commitment is an ambitious plan to double the number of wild tigers by 2022.

In an ongoing battle for territory between humans and wild tigers, tigers are the biggest losers. Rapidly shrinking habitats and poaching are decimating their populations.The World Wildlife Fund estimates the number of wild tigers has declined by 40 percent in the past decade, to about 3,200 animals with only 1,000 actively breeding females. Conservationists agree poaching presents the greatest threat to tiger populations. Poaching and the international trade in tigers and tiger parts is increasing across the region.

The sale of tiger parts is prohibited in most tiger countries and the penalty for poachers in China is death. However, law enforcement

within countries and across national boundaries remains weak and disorganized.

In recent years, new markets for tiger products have emerged. Some animal parks in China openly sell tiger bone wine, just one product spurring the establishment of tiger-breeding farms.

Early estimates suggest the cost of implementing the global tiger project will be more than $350 million and more if the target of doubling tiger numbers within 12 years is to be met. World Bank Global Tiger Initiative Director, Keshav Varma, says tiger nations have some capacity for funding tiger conservation, but wealthy nations will also have to contribute.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono of Indonesia has shown invaluable leadership by helping to secure US$1 billion from Norway to ensure that Indonesia’s forests thrive. This is a stepping-stone for Indonesia to now help save tigers globally. Pursued vigorously as a business opportunity, a new “carbon” commodity could lead to coexistence, where both tigers and human communities thrive, and providing benefits on local, national and global scales.

The situation is so critical; therefore, the commitment to fighting the tiger trade will not be enough by 13-tiger range countries only, global efforts are the key to protect the species.

The major goal for the countries participating in Global Tiger

Summit in Petersburg is to aspire to a world where, by 2020, wild tigers across Asia

will  no  longer	face  the  risk
of  extinction.	To  accomplish

the goal they resolve to do everythingpossibletoeffectively manage, preserve, protect, and enhance habitats. Making core tiger breeding habitats inviolate areas within the larger tiger conservation landscapes where no economic or commercial infrastructure development or other adverse activities are permitted; and maintaining the landscapes and creating corridors around and between them where all permitted development activities are tiger-and biodiversity-compatible are some of the methods included in the declaration after the meeting in Bali which is termed as Pre Tiger Summit Partners Dialogue.

Improving		protection				by
using	systematic			patrolling  to
safeguard		tigers,		their		prey,
and	habitats;		and		working
collaboratively				on		trans-

boundary issues, such as the uninhibited movement of tigers and the management of tiger conservation landscapes, eradicate poaching, smuggling, and illegal trade of tigers, their parts, and derivatives through strengthened national legislation, institutions, and law enforcement to combat crime directed against tigers are also part of the declaration.

The declaration also propose to strengthen regional law enforcement activities through bilateral and multilateral arrangements such as

Association of South East Asian Nations Wildlife Enforcement Network (ASEAN-WEN), South Asia Wildlife Enforcement Network (SA-WEN), and the Protocol between the Government of the People’s Republic of China and the Government of the Russian Federation on Tiger Protection;

Long-term national and global programs to create awareness of the value of wild tigers and their ecosystems and thus eliminate the illicit demand for tigers and their parts are also included in the declaration where they plan

to engage with indigenous and local communities to gain their participation in biodiversity conservation, minimize negative impacts on tigers, their prey, and habitats, and reduce the incidence of human-tiger conflict by providing sustainable and alternative livelihood options through financial support, technical guidance, and other measures.

Appeal needs to be made for the commitment of international financial institutions, such as World Bank, Global Environment Facility, Asian DevelopmentBank,bilateraland

other donors and foundations, CITES Secretariat, non-governmental organizations, and other conservation partners to provide or mobilize financial and technical support to tiger conservation.

Planning is going on to build tiger conservation awareness by celebrating Global Tiger Day annually on 29 July. By the adoption of this, the draft St. Petersburg Declaration, the tiger range countries of the world call upon the international community to join in turning the tide and setting the tiger on the road to recovery.

Book Review

Bones of the Tiger by Hemanta Mishra

_As  we  come  to  the  middle of  the  Tiger  years  2010, we can ponder about the irony

of Chinese Year, which is Tiger year. Though we all celebrate and worship tiger in our own way, be it Hindus or Buddhists, we haven’t been able to get the grasp of actually what the symbols of tigers mean to us. Celebrating the glory and strength of tiger and conserving it is a completely different. We talk about conservation but if we scrutinize our action, we can see that all we ever do is talk but do not act.

Published to honor the year of the tiger, Bones of the Tiger is an authoritative book on tiger. Hemanta Mishra gives his account on tiger and its conservation issues. Hemanta Mishra has been working in the field of conservation for more than four decades. His contribution to the conservation of tiger is immeasurable. He worked with Smithsonian Institute to help conserve the tigers of Nepal. He has made extensive scientific studies of large Asian wild animals.

Today everyone is talking about tiger conservation. Government and organizations are formulating plans to

Book: Bones of the Tiger

Author: Hemanta Mishra

with Jim Ottaway Jr.

Publisher: Lyons Press,

Guilford, Connecticut, USA

Price: US $ 16.95/

CAN $ 18.95

prevent tigers from being extinct. Tigers have become pressing conservarion issue. In bones of the tiger, Hemanta Mishra recounts the need for tiger conservation three decades ago. Though people are realizing significance of tiger now, Hemanta Mishra and his team realized it 30 years ago. They not only realized but also acted. They brought the concept of Tiger conservation in Nepal and presented it to the government of Nepal. When people were more concerned about human welfare, Hemanta Mishra was concerned about the conservation of tiger. It was

his and his teammates’ effort that has led to seeing tigers in this decade also.

There were approximately 100,000 tigers in 1900. In 2010, there are only 3,200 tigers in the wild. Comparing the data, we can see that the poaching and habitat destruction has made tigers endangered. With only five subspecies left on Earth, tigers are vanishing quickly from the face of Earth. Caspian, Javan and Bali tigers have already extinct. Similarly, South China Tiger has not been sighted for a long period of time. The Royal Bengal Tigers are fighting for survival. In early twentieth century, there were forty thousand tigers in India. Now there are only 1,411 tigers left. Similar is the case for Nepal, where the number of adult tigers is as low as 121.

Bones of the Tiger is a guideline to understanding tiger. It beautifully depicts the story of the tiger in its different forms. Sometimes, a man-eater while sometimes a victim of man, tiger is one of the most misunderstood animals. Hemanta Mishra recollects the experiences he had with tiger and conservation. He tells his readers story of a lifetime.

10

From darting tigers to put radio collar to saving the wounded tiger, from making people aware about tiger conservation to punishing the menacing man-eater, his book is a story of his journeys in the forests of Chitwan National Park where he and his colleagues made revelations and breakthroughs in conservation of mammals.

His previous work, 'The Soul of the Rhino' was well appreciated worldwide. The book provided an insight into the personality and behavior of the Asian rhino and its habitat. The book was a commentary on the way in which wildlife management can be helped or tragically hindered by politics, revolution and commitment.

This book tells the fascinating story of one man’s journey to save the man-eaters of Nepal.

Hemanta Mishra worked to save tigers that had fascinated him from his childhood only. Working for the government, he got chance to work with the tigers through Smithsonian Institute of America. Though Smithsonian Institute wanted to operate tiger project in India, due to unpleasant circumstances or as luck would have it, the project was initiated in Nepal which is home to Royal Bengal tigers. This project was forest of its kind to use radio collar to detect movements of tigers.

With the help of this book, we cannot only understand the basic idea about the behavior of tigers but also the social and political issues faced by the conservationists to save tiger. The visits of foreign delegates and guests especially Dr. Brezezinski, the national Security Advisor of the United

States, and their fascination to view capturing of the tigers, the shamans and scientists all working together to help this species have been well depicted in the book.

The author has expressed his concern that if no radical step is taken, there will be no tigers left to roam in the jungles. He said that the real cause of the current tiger crisis is neither scarcity of scientific knowledge nor shortage of funds but the lack of political will. Tiger being a good breeder, can survive with a bit of cover, a supply of prey species and water. However, the question put upon by the author is will the tiger continue to have access to these bare minimum requirements for survival and survive an onslaught of poaching for its valuable skins, bones and body parts?

An extract from Dr. Brzezinski's tiger from 'Bones of the Tiger' by Hemanta Mishra

When we pulled into Tiger Tops, I was mobbed by a terrified and weary Tiger Tops staff, led by my friend Ram Prit Yadav. Ram repeated the story of Khadga's near death encounter.

"It's glamorous of you to come down here to sip expensive Scotch and hobnob with American statesmen," Ram grumbled accusingly," but what about the people who have to work in the jungle with s hungry, man-eating tiger on the prowl?" He waved his hands toward a group of solemn-faced Tiger Tops' staff and added, "These people must work alone in the jungle in the dark. Likewise the Botes that guided you here have to walk home and often sleep in open sheds on the banks of the river." He was clearly angry and concerned about his Tiger Tops colleagues, with whom he had worked for more than a decade.

Ram was then and remains to this day a wildlife conservationist, dedicated to the preservation of animals and their habitat, but his work was not easy. He lived and dealt with a range of people problems- tourists, fishermen, staff of tourist lodges like Tiger Tops, and above all, the sea of poverty stricken humanity that circled Chitwan National Park. He was no different from any other national park warden in the world when it came to ensuring the safety of humans from wild animals. Humans come first. Killing or mauling of humans by tigers in areas under his command infuriated him. Furthermore, that evening his tone indicated that he had imbibed a drink or two.

I did not want to provoke him further. "Is it one of our radio-collared tigers?" I probed. Instead of responding, Ram signaled Dhan Bahadur and Sakale Gurung- Tiger Tops' seasoned tiger trackers- to speak out.

"Pugmarks confirm that the tiger is Bange Bhale," Dhan Bahadur asserted. "We followed its pugmarks today and believe we know its location." My good friend Chuck McDougal, Dhan and Sakale's boss had first sighted the tiger in 1982 when it was about four years old. Since then the trio has been monitoring its movements.

11

New challenges in conserving Pakistani snow leopards

By Syed Mujahid Ali Shah

_In    Pakistan,    the    northern mountain    ranges    of    the Himalayas   —   Karakoram   , Hindukush and Pamir — Chitral and Gilgit-Baltistan host one of the most fascinating animals of the  world:  the  snow  leopard. The  magnificent  animal  is  on the   International   Union   for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red-list of endangered species.

According to a recent scientific study by Yale University, there

are 300 to 420 estimated snow leopards left in these snow-covered mountain ranges of Pakistan, out of a total estimated world population of 4,000 to 7,000. This region is the main corridor of connecting bigger populations of snow leopards living in Pakistan, Central Asia, China, India and Nepal.

Climate change and increasing temperatures have caused fast degradation of the bio-tops

in these mountains, which also host wild species of ibex, Marcopolo sheep, blue sheep, Astor Markhor and the musk deer, on which the snow leopard depends.

This has resulted in a tough inter and intra-specie survival competition. Due to food shortage in its natural sanctuaries, snow leopards have started moving down to villages in search of food and

12

frequent encounters with cattle herds are now being reported from villages near Khunjerab National Park and Central Karakoram National Park in Hunza-Nagar district. Two decades ago, the government started ‘trophy hunting’ programmes in collaboration with mountain villagers in these regions to protect the snow leopard and its prey. Such hunting expeditions cost $3,000 to $80,000 and 80 percent of the money goes directly to the mountain communities, while 20 percent goes to the Forest and Wildlife Department in Gilgit-Baltistan.

The project has showed positive results in stopping illegal

hunting of Marcopolo sheep, ibex, Astore Markhor and blue sheep.

Faced with an alarming future scenario in the shape of critical depletion of the snow leopard’s prey species, the conservation of wild fauna in these mountains will need more than just relying on trophy hunting projects.

As a new protection strategy, measures can be taken in the form of incentive programmes for the villagers to help them conserve wild life hot spots, as well as new awareness and educational campaigns on mass-level in these mountain regions.

As we are already on the verge of losing this endangered wild species — mainly due to lack of awareness and direct dependency of the local population on natural resources

— the world should show responsibility by realising the value of Pakistani snow leopards and play its role in protecting them through economic and educational means.

Syed Mujahid Ali Shah is a student of Landscape Ecology and Nature Conservation in Germany.

Wildlife Watch Group Publication

Wildlife Watch Group has been publishing books on the issues of wildlife and conservation. Following books can buy from WWG office at Pulchowk or Saraswoti Book Centre at Harihar Bhawan, Lalitpur.

The lists of books available at Wildlife Watch Group are:

1.     There’s some monkey business going on here- Mangal Man Shakya and Lucia de Vries: Price Nrs. 100, US$ 2, Euro 1,5 ISBN: PHONIXSTUDIOS SN 0045-1

2.     Cost of Conflicton Nepal’s Conservation Efforts- Editors: Mangal Man Shakya and Anil Chitrakar: Price Nrs. 700, US$ 10, Euro 9, ISBN:978-99946-820-1-6

3.     Armed Conflictand Conservation: Case studies from around the world- Editors: Mangal Man Shakya and Arzu R Deuba: Price: Nrs.1500 US$ 25, Euro 20, ISBN: 978-99946-820-7-2

4.     Tiger Warden- Laxmi Badan Maskey: Preice 400, ISBN: 978-99946-820-2-7

5.     Conflictand Conservation: Himalayan Biodiversity on the brink- Mangal Man Shakya and Anil Chitrakar: Price: Nrs. 400, ISBN: 978-99946-820-0-8

6.     Conservation heroes: Their legacy lives on- WWG and WWF Nepal: Price Nrs. 1500, US$ 25, Euro 15 ISBN: 978-99946-820-6-5

7.     Gharial Conservation in Nepal- Dr. Tirtha Man Maskey: Price Nrs.1000, US$ 16, Euro 12, ISBN: 978-

99946-820-4-1

8.     From the jungle to Kathmandu:Horn and Tusk Trade: Esmond Bradley Martin: Price Nrs: 1000, US$ 30, Euro 20, ISBN: 978-999-46-820-9-6

9.     Trading for Extinction: An expose of illegal wildlife Trade in Nepal- Mangal Man Shakya: Price: 450, US$ 7, Euro 6 ISBN: 999933-885-6-4

13

Tibetan Antelope

Population Doubles in N.

Tibet

June 25, 2010

The population of endangered Tibetan antelopes has doubled thanks to intensified preservationeffortsinsouthwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, a local official said Thursday.

"More than 120,000 Tibetan antelopes are living in the wilderness of Nagqu Prefecture

in northern Tibet, twice as many as reported in 2000," said Tan Yongshou, a senior official in Nagqu, at a regional meeting on Tibet's forestry in Lhasa.

He attributed the increase to the founding of 17 nature reserves, which make up 56 percent of Nagqu's territory, since 2000.

Besides the routine patrol of forestry workers, the local government has hired almost 5,000 volunteer rangers to help protect wildlife. "Poaching

is strictly banned even if the animals cause damage to the local herders and farmers," Tan said.

Nagqu Prefecture boasts 40 million hectares of pastureland and more than 4 million hectares of wetland, an ideal habitat for wild animals.

In Tibet there used to be millions of Tibetan antelopes, but excessive hunting and human encroachment on their habitat caused their population to plummet in past decades.

International traffickers hunted the antelopes to make shahtoosh shawls, a luxury item that required three to five pieces of antelope fur to make just one shawl.

Minor dead in leopard attack

June 28, 2010

Parbat: One minor was mauled to death by a tiger in Baglung on Sunday night.

The deceased has been identified as Praksh Dhungana, 5, son of Krishna Prasad resident of Kuidang Tallo Archel in Jaidau-1 in the district.

14

According to locals, the tiger attacked Dhungana while he was sitting in his house and dragged him into the forest where he was killed.

Rhino horn dealers in police net

July 14, 2010

Kathmandu: Police today arrested three persons with a rhino horn. This is the third time in the last five weeks that illegal traders in the body parts of endangered wildlife have been nabbed in the capital city.

Those	arrested		have	been
identified		as	Amrit	Lama
(22)   and		Samir   Thapa		(24)
of	Sindhupalchowk			and

Man   Bahadur   Lama   (50)   of

Nuwakot.

Senior Superintendent of Police Rana Bahadur Chand, in-charge, Metropolitan Police Crime Division, informed that police in association with Wildlife Conservation Nepal had nabbed them in possession of the rhino horn from Shankhamul, Kathmandu.

The gray-black rhino horn is 21 cm and weighs one kg.

Two other accused, Arjun Neupane and Ram Dai are absconding. “Preliminary investigation has suggested that Arjun is the kingpin of the rhino horn racket in Kathmandu Valley and so-called Ram Dai is his key associate,” informed SSP Chand. “Those arrested were preparing to sell the rhino horn for Rs 1.8 million when a special police squad, acting on a tip-off, rounded them up.”

Despite the enforcement of a tough law, pro-active measures have proved unsatisfactory in curbing the poaching and illegal trade in wildlife body parts due to the connections with high-ups that the criminals enjoy. “Police will grill them to reach the source,” said SSP Chand. If convicted, they will be slapped up to 15 years in jail under Forest Act-1999.

Earlier, MPCD had arrested one person with a leopard skin in Kalanki on June 10 and four persons with a rhino horn in Ichangu-4 on June 17.

Beware! Spots fading into extinction in Uttarakhand

July 16, 2010

Paritosh Kimothi | Dehradun

According to Uttarakhand head of the Wildlife Protection Society of India Rajendra Agrawal, there has been an alarming increase in the

number of leopards killed by the villagers by poisoning the carcasses of the cattle killed by the felines. Apart from such revenge killings, the leopard population has also been affected because villagers in the mountainous regions have poached alarming numbers of deer and other animals which form the natural prey base of the leopard. Without its natural prey, the leopard ends up killing domestic animals, which again provokes revenge killings by villagers.

Agrawal states that during the previous year about 125 leopard deaths were reported from Uttarakhand, while in the first seven months of this year, more than 70 leopard deaths have been reported from across the State, caused by factors, including natural causes, accidents and poaching. About 14 of these leopards were shot dead after being declared man-

eaters. Besides, more than 25 leopard pelts and more than 50 kg of leopard bones

were		also	recovered.		Agrawal
adds		that	delay	in	payment
of	compensation			to	persons

whose domestic animals were killed by leopards was behind the increase in revenge killings.

Citing an example, he says that human-leopard conflict was a major problem in the Kirtinagar area in Tehri district about two years ago. However, there is no such problem now, because the leopard population has been eliminated. In case of leopards declared man-eaters, shooters deputed by the department end up shooting the first leopard they spot.

Mynahs stranded at Dhaka airport

Moushumi Basu | New Delhi More than a thousand Green Munias, endemic to India, and rare Hill Mynahs were seized from a Pakistani national at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka recently.

According to sources, the Pakistani, Ahmad Sheikh Wajid, was trying to smuggle the birds in four cages packed in cartons to Pakistan. He has been arrested. A good number of the birds, however, were dead by the time the cartons were seized. Wahid, who hails from Karachi, crossed the heavy scanning machine of customs with the bird cages. He also had a veterinary certificate from Dhaka City Corporation, which is believed to have been forged.

Following a tip-off, customs officials seized the birds from the aircraft. The price of a pair of these birds range between Taka 400 and Taka 10,000 (the Bangladeshi currency).

These rare birds are believed to have been smuggled through the Indo-Bangladesh border. Experts have pointed out that thousands of these birds are captured in India and illegally smuggled to international markets. Worse, a huge percentage of them die in transit.

Dr Asad Rahmani, Director Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS), has written to the Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh to get India’s rare endemic birds back to the country, before they perish.

Dr Rahmani pointed out the Green Munia or Green Avadavat (Amandava formosa) is a globally threatened bird that is found only in India. It is categorised as ‘vulnerable’ in the IUCN’s Red List. It has been studied very little in the wild by ornithologists and is rarely seen because of its limited distribution in the States of Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Odisha.

Similarly, Hill Mynahs (Gracula religiosa) are talking birds and included in the Schedule I (highest protection CITES Appendix II) species.

Abrar Ahmed, ornithologist and bird trade consultant with Traffic India/WWF India, who

has been trying to highlight the plight of the species exploited through smugglers and bird dealers, said, “It was the Netherlands Government that had proposed the inclusion of Green Munias to be included in CITES and ironically the material was provided by us. We need to raise our concern for release of Green Avadavats in the right distribution and habitat as per IUCN guidelines in India, he added.

T U R T LE S in trouble in Pakistan

The turtles are being brutally massacred for the illegal international wildlife trade and exported to foreign countries. The brutal slaughter of freshwater turtles out of money minting motives goes unabated in the downstream areas of Pakistan.

Credible sources in Pakistan Customs and a security agency revealed to the black market of turtles earns the smugglers over Rs 5 billion annually at the cost of the lives of thousands of animals of the same specie. This explains why wildlife trade stands as the third largest profitable business after drugs and arms trade.

Further details provided by Pakistan Wetland Programme (PWP) Ministry of Environment show that 50 to 100 turtles are killed everyday by the hunters in the downstream areas and adjoining belt of Indus River, stretching from Sindh to Punjab entailing Ravi, Chenab, Jehlum and Sutluj rivers and related

16

barrages. It has been further revealed that more than 1000 turtles were found dead along the Indus River, downstream Sukkur in April, 2010 and as a result the turtles’ catch has declined from 150-200 to 15-20 per day due to excessive killings of the turtles in the last six years in Punjab.

Since 2005, the customs officials have reportedly confiscated over 7000 kg of turtles’ body parts. Roughly, over 200,000

kg are illegally transported each year to China, Japan, Singapore, Thailand, Hong Kong, Korea, Vietnam and dozens of other states in the region and over 1 million kg of turtles’ flesh has been sent to aforementioned states in last five years.

It has come to the notice of the Animal Save Movement Pakistan that freshwater turtles in Punjab are being massacred for profit at a scale that puts their very existence at risk.

Not only are they being killed in an extremely brutal fashion, there is absolutely no check on the numbers that are being lost daily and how this must be affecting the biodiversity of the river systems.

Turtles are one of the oldest continuing species on this planet, representing over 200 million years of evolutionary history. Their population should be protected and valued as a national natural heritage.

17

Cont. from page 20

• Buffer Zone of Bardia National Park

He stayed in Tiger Tops resort hotel situated outside the Bardia National Park from May 22 to 24. His team consisted of 15 members. During his stay, he visited the habitats of tigers and talked with the villagers and the conservationists about tiger conservation.

Leonardo took part in Jungle Safari where he saw rhinos but could not see any tiger though some of his colleagues saw even five tigers at a place and took a picture. He took a tour of Buffer Zones of Bardia. He talked to different school goers and people committed to conservation.

After seeing Buffer Zone to link Bardia with Katarniya

Ghat Wildlife reserve, he was very excited and encouraged by the system said Krishna Pariyar, head of buffer zone conservation area. However, he also expressed his concern for the increasing deforestation along the trail.

Giving priority to work rather than publicity, the local people came to know about his identity only after a week of his return. Bhadai Tharu, a local, who lost his eye due to tiger's attack, expressed his joy in meeting Leonardo.

Many officials from WWF-US and National Park were also present during his visit in Bardia. The whole visit was looked upon by WWF-

US. Leonardo was introduced simply as a conservationist in front of the local people.

Leonardo is more encouraged after his visit to Bardia. He came to Nepal after agreeing to work together with WWF-US to spread awareness. He was encouraged after seeing the ground reality of the status of tigers in the wild.

No one took any pictures of Leonardo DiCaprio. The media was not even made aware about the visit so as not to catch any public attention. Ashok Bhandari, Assistant Warden of Bardia National Park recalled that they were not allowed to take pictures and so not a single picture has been taken. WWF-

18

US released a press conference about teaming up with Leonardo DiCaprio for the conservation of tigers and visiting Asian countries to see the habitat and threats faced by the tigers first hand. This statement was released after DiCaprio visited Nepal. Minister for Forest and Soil conservation Mr. Deepak Bohara however confirmed Leonardo's visit in his interview with Wildlife Times.

"More than 90 percent of historic tiger habitat no longer has tigers. Tigers are endangered and critical to some of the world's most important ecosystems," said DiCaprio in a press statement. "Key conservation efforts can save the tiger species from extinction, protect some of the planet's last wild habitats and help sustain the local communities surrounding them," added the actor.

Leonardo was well applauded for his role in James Cameroon 1992's blockbuster 'Titanic'. Other than James Cameroon, he has worked with Steven Spielberg, Martin Scorsese and Danny Boyle. His recent release 'Inception' directed by

• Elephants in Bardia National Park

foundation also works to save the tigers.

This is not the first time that any Hollywood star visited Nepal for conservation activities. Five years ago, Hollywood glamour girls Cameron Diaz and Eva Mendes came in Nepal and Bhutan as part of the MTV reality show Trippin' to highlight its conservation work and the difference it was making to local people's lives.

While WWF's national brand ambassadors in Nepal are

Miss Nepal and Apa Sherpa, the Himalayan legend who has climbed Mt. Everest an incredible 20 times. In India, it is actor Abhishek Bachhan.

It is high time that the plight of the tiger needs to be heard by the people before it's too late. The million-dollar question here now is whether this campaign will successfully revive the population of tigers or will tigers be just images and symbols for our future generations?

Christopher Nolan has been highly appreciated worldwide.

Leonardo		has	been	active
in	conservation		and	green

movement for a very long time. He started Leonardo Foundation in 1998. This

Wildlife Times is partly supported by

WWF Nepal Program

APPEAL

Dear valued readers,

The 23^rd issue of the Wildlife Times is in your hands. It is our small effort to raise various issues related with wildlife conservation. Please help us include the activities from your group or organizations of wildlife conservation by sending us the concerned information. We would love to find any suggestion and criticism. Please feel free to leave your feedback at info@citesnepal.org. We also seek support from your organization to continue this Wildlife Times. We look forward to your queries, comments and support.

19

Leonardo as elusive as Tiger during his visit in Nepal

_With  as  few  as  three  thousand  plus  left  in the wild, down from around one hundred thousand a century ago, the tiger is one of the most  threatened  species  on  the  planet.  More than 90 percent of the historic tiger habitat no longer has tiger. With such a degrading number of  tiger's  population,  WWF  has  come  up  with the mission to save the tigers in the world with the  tiger  recovery  project  T*2.  WWF’s  goal  is to double the global tiger population by 2022. They  plan  to  increase  the  tiger  population  to 6500  within  2022,  which  is  the  next  Chinese

year for the tiger.

To give people the ability to aid in saving wild tigers from extinction through their mobile phones in the USA, WWF-US has launched Texting for Tigers promotion. By texting “TIGERS” to 20222 from a cell phone, a $10 donation is made to support WWF’s efforts to protect tigers.

With this goal, WWF US has collaborated with many Hollywood stars to help them promote the conservation of tigers.

Many International celebrities have supported the WWF-US’s work for tigers including Leonardo DiCaprio, Jared Leto and Sophia Bush. It is reported Dick Van Dyke met with President Obama and talked about seriousness of conserving tigers.

Hollywood Star Leonardo DiCaprio recently visited Nepal. It was not a recreational visit or any publicity visits. The visit was not even disclosed to the paparazzi until Leonardo returned.

• Hollywood actress Cameron Diaz with Dr. Maskey during her visit to Nepal

DiCaprio traveled Nepal with WWF-US experts to see the threats tigers face first-hand. He participated in anti-poaching patrols, met with park guards on the frontlines of protecting tigers from international traffickers, and explores the best ways to protect these amazing creatures.

Leonardo came to Nepal for the campaign to save tigers in collaboration with WWF US. Aptly named 'Save Tigers Now'. Actor Leonardo DiCaprio is the ambassador for this campaign.

Loss of prey, habitat and illegal poaching are the root causes for the depletion in number of tigers around the world. This campaign aims to raise the tiger population to double by the year 2022.

Published by: Wildlife Watch Group (WWG), GPO Box 8975, EPC 696, Machaagal-20, Pulchowk, Lalitpur, Nepal Phone: +977-1-5524188,