KANCHANPUR, July 25: Shuklaphanta national park has reported zero poachings after hidden cameras were installed at various places inside the park.

Such cameras have been installed at more than two dozen places with high possibility of poaching.

“We caught three poachers last year with the help of the hidden cameras. Cases of wildlife poaching have decreased to zero this year, thanks to the effectiveness of these cameras,” Shailendra Chaudhari, assistant conservation officer of the Park, said.

The Park has made arrangements for immediately mobilizing the park security personnel on the basis of camera footage if any untoward activity is found taking place inside the park.

“It was very difficult to nab the poachers before when the cameras had not been installed. It was difficult to identify the people indulging in illegal activities inside the park. But this job has now become easy after the installation of the hidden cameras,” he said.

According to him, the timber smuggling has also dropped to zero these days.

The Park officials say that however the Indian Bengali settlement at Tartargunj that is close to the Nepal-India border and the park has become a challenge in checking timber smuggling.

Although some poaching and smuggling takes place from that side, the Park has intensified surveillance in coordination with the Indian forest guards.

The Park is home to more than 53 species of mammals, 12 species of reptiles, 20 species of amphibians, 25 species of fish, 35 species of butterflies and 424 species of birds. The park is spread on 305 square kilometers area. RSS

KATHMANDU, May 23: In order to control wildlife poaching and trafficking of animal parts, Nepal and India are planning to carry out a joint operation.

The operation is to be conducted in Shuklaphanta National Park in Kanchanpur district on Nepal’s side and Krishnapur Wildlife Sanctuary in Uttar Pradesh.

This move comes after both the sides realized that the two reserves are contagious to each other.

The chief of National Trust for Nature Conservation, Kanchanpur office, Anil Prasain, said this decision was taken at a joint security meeting held at Haldwani, Uttarakhand, as per Kathmandu Post.

It was decided that there should be a regular surveillance at the border crossings to build a network to share information. It was also agreed that both India and Nepal will conduct joint patrol at bordering forest areas.

According to Kathmandu Post, the two sides also agreed to manage the wildlife corridors at Brahmadev and Laljhadi to ease the movement of animals, particularly elephants.

KANCHANPUR, Feb 5: Counting of Royal Bengal tiger has started at Shuklaphanta National Park from Sunday.

The tiger census is being carried out by employing the camera trapping method and with the cooperation of the Park office, the District Forest Office and support organizations.

A team of 90 persons including technical staff have been mobilized for the census, said assistant conservation officer at the Park, Gopal Bahadur Ghimire.

“As many as 260 camera traps have been installed and the numbers of tigers would be monitored at four places inside the Park, at four places in the national forests under the District Forest Office and at three places in the Chure region on Jogbudha area, Dadeldhura,” he added.

According to him, the census would be conducted for around 20 days. It is for the first time that the tiger census is being conducted at Jogbudha of Dadeldhura. Seventeen tigers were found in the Park in last year’s census. RSS

KANCHANPUR, Jan 12: A total of 3,641 water birds of 58 species have been recorded in the Shuklaphanta National Park in Kanchanpur district.

The counting of birds was conducted through a direct observation method and with the help of binoculars, according to Park conservation officer Gopal Bahadur Ghimire.

The records show that numbers of water birds in the Shuklaphanta is on the rise every year as it has wetland areas and offers appropriate and safe habitats and food for them.

Water birds migrated from the north pole including Siberia in winter to avoid cold arrive wetland areas, ponds and lakes and riverbanks here. Some of them fly to India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka via this route.

Movements of water birds have been significantly increased in Rani Pond, Salgaudi Pond, Kalikich Pond and Tara Pond areas these days. The sighting of migratory birds begins here since mid-October.

They remain until March-April and fly back to home following breeding. People involved in the counting said that proper management of natural ponds and construction of artificial ponds has attracted water birds in the recent years. Birds of 30-150 species have been found in a single pond during the pond.

Representatives from the park, National Trust for Nature Conservation, Zoological Society of London and ornithologist Hem Sagar Baral were in the counting team.