Bardia National Park is naturally famous for being the easiest place in the world to see tigers in the wild. But since visiting this jewel in the plains of western Nepal five times in the last 40 years, what attracts me most about Bardia besides its charismatic mammals is its fabulous birdlife. The park has recorded over 525 bird species and 61 mammals, and is recognised as an Important Bird and Biodiversity Area and so of global importance for birds and other wildlife. By area, Bardia is Nepal’s largest national park in the Tarai, and much of it consists of the alluvial plain of the Karnali River in the west as it bursts out of the mountains, and the pristine Babai River valley to the northeast.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240601010640_5ae001599fa5f7df2f3a461106cc765aad061744bc8bd4b4fa4735869ef7c77b.png" data-media-id="editor_0" data-image-id="20240601010640_5ae001599fa5f7df2f3a461106cc765aad061744bc8bd4b4fa4735869ef7c77b" data-rendition-name="original" width="1704" height="1158" loading="lazy" alt="birds of Nepal"> </figure>  To the north, the Chure Range rises to 1,440m which means the park has diverse vegetation types ranging from extensive grasslands to climax forests, and over 70% of the reserve is covered by sal forests.&nbsp; Then there are riverine forests of acacia and sissoo in the lowlands and deciduous and chir pine forests higher up. The park is dotted with pools, many of them manmade, to provide water for wildlife. But what makes Bardia special are its birds. Just woodpeckers, there are 16 species, including the globally Vulnerable Great Slaty Woodpecker (Mulleripicus pulverulentus): a gangling and prehistoric-looking bird that is one of the largest woodpeckers in the world.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240601010636_3576e07e2731932dfdb0c7b59863aada319535dc6769eff675924defb22541bf.jpg" data-media-id="editor_1" data-image-id="20240601010636_3576e07e2731932dfdb0c7b59863aada319535dc6769eff675924defb22541bf" data-rendition-name="original" width="3580" height="2518" loading="lazy" alt="Great Slaty Woodpecker"> <figcaption>Great Slaty Woodpecker, easily located by its distinctive whinnying cackle and often in small groups.</figcaption> </figure>  Then there is the scarce White-naped Woodpecker (Chrysocolaptes festivus) which is endemic to the Subcontinent.&nbsp; Great Hornbills (Buceros bicornis) are frequently seen, but the loss of large fruiting trees as nest sites and food source, as well as hunting for food and medicinal purposes have put the hornbill in the globally vulnerable category.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240601010640_b4e9687e4634bba32b76bc89a1a5d275a30d39e4eb3b15294da5169248da0a44.jpg" data-media-id="editor_2" data-image-id="20240601010640_b4e9687e4634bba32b76bc89a1a5d275a30d39e4eb3b15294da5169248da0a44" data-rendition-name="original" width="2048" height="1252" loading="lazy" alt="The Great Hornbill"> <figcaption>The Great Hornbill in flight when it makes a sound like a steam engine starting up.</figcaption> </figure>  Bardia is rich in raptors, and among them is the Steppe Eagle (Aquila nipalensis), a winter visitor. Rapid recent declines have led to it being listed as globally Endangered. The rare local Grey-headed Fish-Eagle (Icthyophaga ichthyaetus) can be seen on pools and streams.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240601010640_efaef889e4fa44a70263e3d6dbc60998bee21832f520e44e9d3df0e1ced7824c.jpg" data-media-id="editor_3" data-image-id="20240601010640_efaef889e4fa44a70263e3d6dbc60998bee21832f520e44e9d3df0e1ced7824c" data-rendition-name="original" width="1985" height="1811" loading="lazy" alt="Grey-headed Fish-Eagle"> <figcaption>Grey-headed Fish-Eagle feeds almost entirely on fish, sometimes supplemented by birds and mammals.</figcaption> </figure>  The Rufous-bellied Eagle (Lophotriorchis kienerii) is another uncommon resident in the park and listed as Near-threatened globally because of widespread deforestation. An aerial hunter, it often captures prey on or near the ground or treetops after spectacular dives. Bardia has an impressive list of 14 resident owl species. The magnificent Mottled Wood Owl (Strix ocellata) was only discovered for the first time in Nepal in 2015 when a pair was photographed in Khata Corridor in the Buffer Zone and has been frequently recorded since. India is the only other country where Mottled Wood Owl is regularly seen.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240601010640_ce746028c7025ab5a2235a1fff8a5bce77cea32dfa938ef41f87274db8ced956.jpg" data-media-id="editor_4" data-image-id="20240601010640_ce746028c7025ab5a2235a1fff8a5bce77cea32dfa938ef41f87274db8ced956" data-rendition-name="original" width="4080" height="3803" loading="lazy" alt="The Mottled Wood Owl NT"> <figcaption>The Mottled Wood Owl is nocturnal, if lucky can be spotted before dusk falls.</figcaption> </figure>  The Dusky Eagle-owl (Bubo coromandus) often breeds in a deserted stick raptor nest in the top of tall mature trees, at the forest edge or in grassland. Brown Fish-owl (Ketupa zeylonensis) is a commonly seen resident, usually roosting in the daytime camouflaged in thick foliage of large trees in a secluded site near water in forest. Bardia supports a host of smaller bird species like the Blue-bearded (Nyctyornis athertoni) and Asian Green (Merops orientalis) Bee-eaters are fairly common residents, while Chestnut-headed (M. leschenaulti) and Blue-tailed (M. philippinus) Bee-eaters are common in summer.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240601010644_b6ed309138a64ed6a1ad7b06bb057c45ddbbe47805b1fd98b2d04a4119a97bf9.jpg" data-media-id="editor_5" data-image-id="20240601010644_b6ed309138a64ed6a1ad7b06bb057c45ddbbe47805b1fd98b2d04a4119a97bf9" data-rendition-name="original" width="4080" height="2720" loading="lazy" alt="Spot Bellied Eagle Owl."> </figure>  Other colourful and fairly common summer visitors are Indian (Pitta brachyura) and Western Hooded (P. sordida) Pitta. In March the gorgeous scarlet flowers of the silk cotton tree attract an array of nectar feeders: Hair-crested Drongo (Dicrurus hottentottus), Black-hooded Oriole (Oriolus xanthornus), Scarlet Minivet (Pericrocotus flammeus), and Spot-winged Starling (Saroglossa spiloptera), to name a few. Grassland specialities include Golden-headed Cisticola (Cisticola exilis), Yellow-bellied Prinia, (Prinia flaviventris), White-tailed Bushchat (Saxicola leucurus), Indian Grass-babbler (Graminicola bengalensis), and Chestnut-capped (Timalia pileata), Striated (Argya earlei) and Yellow-eyed (Chrysomma sinense) Babblers.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240601010644_abad29cdacd2091c633fe234fb070b6c92b617849e7ca3c1ba60db43edad2187.jpg" data-media-id="editor_6" data-image-id="20240601010644_abad29cdacd2091c633fe234fb070b6c92b617849e7ca3c1ba60db43edad2187" data-rendition-name="original" width="4080" height="2722" loading="lazy" alt="Orange-breasted Green Pigeon."> <figcaption>Orange-breasted Green Pigeon.</figcaption> </figure>  The striking Siberian (Calliope calliope) and Himalayan Rubythroat (C. pectoralis) are winter visitors to scrub and grassland as well as several wintering bush-warblers: Aberrant, Grey-sided, Pale-footed and West Himalayan Bush-warbler. The rivers and streams support a rich diversity of birdlife: Greater Painted-snipe (Rostratula benghalensis), River Lapwing (Vanellus duvaucelii), Stork-billed (Pelargopsis capensis), Pied Kingfishers (Ceryle rudis) and Black-backed Forktail (Enicurus immaculatus) which are all resident. While in winter there is Blue Rock-thrush (Monticola solitarius), Wallcreeper (Tichodroma muraria), Citrine Wagtail (Motacilla citreola) and many wader species.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240601010644_c5c95f38b86a5047bb0073d9fdd11aef7fef9980772f2b4746978cd1bb95e290.jpg" data-media-id="editor_7" data-image-id="20240601010644_c5c95f38b86a5047bb0073d9fdd11aef7fef9980772f2b4746978cd1bb95e290" data-rendition-name="original" width="2708" height="1805" loading="lazy" alt="Stork-billed Kingfisher"> <figcaption>Stork-billed Kingfisher is impressive, with a massive red bill.</figcaption> </figure>  While crossing the Babai Bridge on the East-West Highway, there are stunning views of the unspoilt Babai River valley with its forested hills and wild river. The Critically Endangered Gharial (Gavialis gangeticus) and Vulnerable Mugger (Crocodylus palustris) can be easily seen in the cold season, basking on sandbanks. The Gharial is exclusively a fish-eater, and it hunts underwater with sharp interlocking teeth and long narrow snout.&nbsp; The Mugger preys on fish, snakes, birds, and mammals and is also a scavenger. The Himalayan or Golden Mahseer (Tor putitora) is an Endangered fish which can reach up to 2.75m and turtles such as the Endangered Indian Softshell Turtle (Nilssonia gangetica) can often be seen on the Babai. Nepal tripled its tiger population to 360 in the past 14 years, and nearly 160 of them are estimated to be in Bardia and its buffer zone.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240601010648_8f657bceea305b157de52e46be4ecc95712994c17d3e6eeacd40ccd240dab9e1.jpg" data-media-id="editor_8" data-image-id="20240601010648_8f657bceea305b157de52e46be4ecc95712994c17d3e6eeacd40ccd240dab9e1" data-rendition-name="original" width="4000" height="3000" loading="lazy" alt="Bardia"> <figcaption>Bardia National Park is in the alluvial plains of the Karnali River, and is dotted with pools. Photo: CAROL INSKIPP</figcaption> </figure>  The park is one of the best places to see Asian Elephant (Elephas maximus) in the wild. Other mammals are: Leopard (Panthera pardus), several deer species including Spotted (Axis axis) and Swamp Deers (Rucervus duvaucelii), Nilgai (Bosephalus tragocamelus), as well as Indian Rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis) which has been successfully re-introduced from Chitwan National Park. If you are lucky, you can spot the Endangered Gangetic River Dolphin (Platanista gangetica) on the Karnali River.&nbsp; Bardia is relatively isolated, and this has helped to protect its wide range of wildlife and habitat, and is much quieter than Chitwan. It is well worth the effort to get there.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240603040632_1beaf48c370de444726e1be6330f5d9c26b61b658624633ebe97efa5ce6c093c.jpg" data-media-id="editor_9" data-image-id="20240603040632_1beaf48c370de444726e1be6330f5d9c26b61b658624633ebe97efa5ce6c093c" data-rendition-name="original" width="900" height="331" loading="lazy" alt="Bardia birds books"> </figure>  Getting to and Staying in Bardia  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20240601010648_0255590ce98955aa543f3661cd1ba2f5b317dc67c7aa1a31a450b5d441398005.jpg" data-media-id="editor_10" data-image-id="20240601010648_0255590ce98955aa543f3661cd1ba2f5b317dc67c7aa1a31a450b5d441398005" data-rendition-name="original" width="4000" height="3000" loading="lazy" alt="Babai River Bardia"> <figcaption>The pristine Babai River valley is situated at the northeastern part of the Bardia National Park. Photo: CAROL INSKIPP</figcaption> </figure>  Fly to Nepalganj from Kathmandu, and take the two-hour jeep ride through the park to the Park Headquarters at Thakurdwara. There is a range of accommodation in the Buffer Zone from luxury resorts to tented camps and homestays. Some suggestions: Royal Tiger Cottage, Burhan Wilderness Camp, Tiger Tops Karnali Lodge. Experienced and very knowledgeable local guides are available for safari and jungle walks. Allow at least three days for your visit. &nbsp;

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Bardia’s birds

<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20230112100128/63bfd2f89c7e80680e0d3041jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="960" height="720"/><figcaption>Kazi Sharan Nepali holding a bar-headed geese fitted with satellite radio telemetry in 2005.</figcaption></figure>H<a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=5755#.Y44pjS9w2Lc">ari Sharan Nepali</a>'s friends affectionately called him Kazi because of his smart attire and genteel manners. And ‘Kazi Dai’ was how birders from Nepal and around the world knew the country’s most famous ornithologist.Knowing Kazi was more than a coincidence for me: he was a friend of my father, Parasar Narayan Suwal. One was a PhD and other a school dropout, but the two bonded because of their shared love of the wilderness, often exploring the jungles of the Tarai together.In 1972, I joined my father and his students of Ananda Kuti Science College on a weeklong camping trip to Pokhara. Kazi Dai was invited as visiting faculty to share his knowledge on the bird ecology, field identification, and bird taxidermy techniques.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20230112100128/63bfd2fb9c7e80680e0d3042jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1812" height="1200"><figcaption>Kazi dai in Sikles.</figcaption></figure>The Prithvi Highway was under construction then, so the team camped by the banks of the Trisuli river in Galchi. It was here that Kazi Dai introduced us to the flashy White-throated Kingfisher.In Pokhara, we trekked from Bagar near Prithvi Narayan Campus to Hyangja, where we were pummelled by a heavy hailstorm. Next day when we reached Suinkhet, the river was filled with debris and boulders from overnight landslides and flood. There, Kazi Dai identified the Lesser Racquet-tailed Drongo, a Green Magpie and an Egyptian Vulture.On our return journey to Kathmandu Kazi Dai helped pointed out a showy Wall Creeper on a freshly dug mountain slope as it fluttered wings with maroon patches. His mentoring during this trip was a turning point for me to become a birder myself.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20230112100128/63bfd3009c7e80680e0d3043jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="4032" height="3024"><figcaption>Archival image of Kazi dai who is in the middle with binoculars and a cap. Karna Sakya is to his right. Two of them are the founders of the Bird Conservation Nepal aka Nepal Bird Watching Club.</figcaption></figure>In the late 1970s, I eagerly took part in bird identification field trips with Kazi Dai and Karna Sakya, who was then with the IUCN Commission on Education. Together they founded the Nepal Bird Watching Club, which was later named Bird Conservation Nepal (BCN).Today, BCN is a well-established professional organisation nurturing a passion for bird documentation, photography, research and conservation on hundreds of Nepali youth every year. Ornithological science has now gone on from just identifying and preserving birds to <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/Nepali-Times-Buzz/birds-of-passage-Nepal,2921">satellite tracking of their migration</a>, and digital recording of the more than 880 species of birds found in Nepal<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20230112100128/63bfd3069c7e80680e0d3044jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="668" height="997"><figcaption>Kazi dai in Naudanda, Kaski in 1972. Photo taken by Late Prof Parasar Narayan Suwal.</figcaption></figure>Kazi Dai was very accommodating and always ready to share his wealth of knowledge, and mentor budding bird watchers and naturalists.In 1985, when I was stationed as a naturalist at Gaida Wildlife Camp, he visited Chitwan for a birding trip. Along a moist Chure river bed, we observed the flashy Sultan Tit, Black-crested Baza, Rufous Piculet, Red-headed Trogon. In Chitwan National Park, after observing a rare Bengal Florican in the grassland of Dumaria Phanta, a majestic Bengal Tiger appeared from the golden grass.One of the noteworthy professional work we did together was documenting his ornithological knowledge during the Biodiversity Profiles Project, under the Department of National Park and Wildlife Conservation in 1995. Both of us also served as members of Environment Protection Council, chaired by the Prime Minister.We were also in a team studying the <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/the-great-trans-himalayan-bird-migration/">trans-Himalayan migration</a> routes of <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=4568#.Y44rtS9w2Lc">Bar-headed Geese</a> along the Narayani River, the first ever telemetry study of birds in Nepal.We successfully <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=18157#.Y44rlC9w2Lc">tagged two birds </a>both of which travelled across the Himalaya to a lake 500km north of Mt Everest in spring for breeding. The return journey was not what we expected, the pair named Hillary and Tenzing did not stop over in Chitwan, but flew on for another 500km south to winter in India. The study was documented in the 2006 documentary <a href="https://docuwiki.net/index.php?title=Incredible_Animal_Journeys#Wild_Goose_Chase">Wild Goose Chase</a> narrated by Steve Leonard.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20230112100128/63bfd3099c7e80680e0d3045jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1446" height="1088"><figcaption>Hari Sharan Nepali 'Kazi' Trail dedicated by Lumbini Development Trust in Lumbini Crane Sanctuary. The birth date on the board is, however, incorrect. Kazi dai was actually born in 1927.</figcaption></figure>Birding with <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/opinion/birding-with-jimmy-carter-in-nepal/">President Jimmy Carter</a> was perhaps another highlight of my birding experiences with Kazi Dai. We also established the Lumbini Crane Sanctuary, and the enhanced wetland in Lumbini is now a preferred home for the nesting Sarus cranes. It is supported by WWF Nepal, in partnership with International Crane Foundation and Lumbini Development Trust.On World Wetland Day in 2021 the Trust dedicated a wetland in the sanctuary as Hari Sharan Nepali Trail as a tribute to Kazi Dai.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20230112100128/63bfd30e9c7e80680e0d3046jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1095" height="759"><figcaption>Suwal with Kazi dai. Photo: Bikas Rauniyar</figcaption></figure>Kazi Dai also personally spearheaded the Ornithological Survey of Nepal to study Nepal’s vast diversity of bird species. The Natural History Museum established by Tribhuvan University is an outcome of his passion. Kazi Dai identified 13 new bird species in addition to the bird species described by Robert Fleming Sr, Robert Fkeming Jr and Lain Singh Bangdel in 1976.Kazi Dai left us on 19 May 2021, but his passion for the study and preservation of Nepal’s birdlife lives on in the many young naturalists he mentored.Rajendra N Suwal is the Head of Partnerships Development at WWF Nepal.Read more: <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=5755#.Y5GC0exBzDJ">Hari Sharan nipalensis</a>

Remembering Nepal’s Bird Man, Kazi Dai

<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022111413114/63722f599c7e80680e0c250fjpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1500" height="1001"/>Tucked away in northern Chitwan between the Prithvi and Mahendra Highways is a land that has been bypassed by time. And this has helped protect the unique <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/model-for-post-covid-ecotourism/">landscape and biodiversity of Gadi-Siraichuli</a>.The mountain forest here is one of a network of sites in the world designated as an Important Bird and Biodiversity Area by BirdLife International. It is the habitat of the Spiny Babbler (Turdoides nipalensis), the rare and shy bird that is found only in Nepal.Ironically it is state neglect of the past decades that has protected the unique ecosystem of Gadi-Siraichuli. The mountains also have historical significance for the 18th century fort that dates back to the Anglo-Nepal wars of the early 19th century.A five- day trekking itinerary takes visitors through remote villages and wilderness areas so untouched that it is hard to believe Gadi-Siraichuli is that close to the national highways.The <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/nation/Chepang-living-edge,3136">nomadic Chepang people</a> still practice Shamanism, and it is the only health care for villagers before they can reach hospitals in Bharatpur. Children along the trail have to travel two hours each way to reach the three government schools in the area.<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022111413114/63722f5c9c7e80680e0c2510jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1500" height="1125">Thanks to the <a href="https://besnepal.org/">Bird Education Society</a>, the trail from Kot to Upardang Gadi via Kaaule has become a popular hike for birders from Nepal and around the world.The trail begins in the village of Hugdi along the Kathmandu-Pokhara highway, from where it is an uphill to Kot Pass that leads to the fort. When the clouds part, there is a panoramic view of Himalchuli and Annapurnas, with Himalayan vultures wheeling overhead.The walk then follows the Rigdi Khola to the nightstop at Lower Kaaule village. Lush sub-tropical broad-leaf forests cover the valley sides. Black and Bonelli’s Eagles appear over the skyline.Lower Kaaule is a Magar and Chhetri settlement with 25 houses situated by the river amidst terraced fields. There are homestays here where the owners are used to trekkers passing through. Villagers practice agroforestry, bee-keeping and organic farming, and there are orange, peach and pear trees along the paths. Recently, tea gardens and black cardamom plantations have sprung up.<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022111413114/63722f5f9c7e80680e0c2511jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1500" height="1125">The autumn nights are clear and starlit, with the Milky Way, shooting stars and satellites crossing the sky. Visitors fall asleep listening to the calls of Collared Owlets and Mountain Scops Owls nearby.The next morning it is a climb up a steep forested slope alive with flycatchers, warblers and babblers on the trail to Kotari, and onward to Upper Kaaule where there is also a homestay.This is where the Spiny Babbler was sighted in 2020, marking a new locality for this bird. The next morning the trail climbs through the dense rhododendron forest of Gadi-Siraichuli to Upardang Gadi village via Chisapanitar. There are plenty of homestays, and the area is a haven for birders. There are stunning mountain views, especially before sunrise.Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/spiny-babbler-tourism/">Spiny babbler tourism</a>, Kamal MadenThe fort at Upardang Gadi is situated at 1,275m with unsurpassed views of Chitwan Valley to the south and the mountains to the north. Birds of prey soar over the fort, with sightings of the Greater Spotted, Steppe Eagles and Pied Harriers. At dusk Lesser Kestrels hawk acrobatically for termites.The next day it is downhill to Shaktikhor in Chitwan, where a forest was cleared for a UN-supervised camp for the demobilisation of the Maoists after the conflict ended in 2006, and then on to the highway.<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022111413114/63722f639c7e80680e0c2512jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1500" height="1125">Gadi-Siraichuli forest has been designated one of Nepal’s 37 Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas, which are of global importance for birds and other wildlife. It includes the largest extent and the highest quality of subtropical mixed broadleaved forest remaining Nepal that supports significant populations of bird species as well as four globally threatened and 20 nationally threatened species.The Chepang people followed a nomadic lifestyle until recently, and various factors including influx of settlers forced them to take up a more sedentary subsistence  agriculture. But Chepang families still harvest wild food from the forest which serves as the watershed providing drinking water for seven villages in Chitwan, but it is still outside Nepal’s protected area system.Designating the area as a Watershed and Bird Sanctuary would be invaluable in protecting the forest for wildlife and as a resource for local communities, including their precious water sources. Promoting eco-tourism would also raise incomes and help in conservation of this precious habitat.Carol Inskipp is a UK conservationist and author of books on Nepal birds and their conservation, who has been coming to Nepal since 1977.Prem Thapa is an avid birder,  trekker, and life member of Bird Education Society, and works at Samsara Trekking &amp; Safari in Kathmandu.Read more: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/protecting-the-last-home-of-the-spiny-babbler/">Protecting the last home of the Spiny Babbler</a>, Carol Inskipp and Rupendra Karmacharya

Eco-tourism in Gadi-Siraichuli

<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109111144/636b84809c7e80680e06779ajpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1100" height="694"/><figcaption>69 vultures were found dead in Nawalparasi last month.</figcaption></figure>On the grounds of a college campus in Nawalparasi, the great brown birds lay as if they were taking part in some ritual. The vultures were all lying in almost concentric circles around an animal carcass.The 69 vultures were all dead: 35 White-rumped Vultures, 31 Himalayan Griffons, two Cinereous and one Slender-billed Vulture. Of the four species, two were on the IUCN list of critically endangered birds.The death of the vultures in Nawalparasi on 20 April is a huge setback to Nepal’s successful effort to protect the birds from extinction after they started dying mysteriously in the 1990s.Nepal is <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/nepal-is-a-model-for-vulture-conservation/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">a role model for vulture conservation</a> internationally with local communities and nature groups here saving the birds from near extinction.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109111144/636b84839c7e80680e06779bjpeg.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="490"><figcaption> </figcaption></figure><figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109111144/636b84859c7e80680e06779cjpeg.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="573"><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>The White-rumped, Long-billed and Slender-billed Vultures declined by more than 99% in India and Pakistan.In Nepal, there was a 96% decline in the Slender-billed Vulture population between 1995 and 2001, and the number of White-rumped Vultures had gone down by 91%.Of the nine species of vultures found in Nepal, four are critically endangered (the Long-billed, White-rumped, Slender-billed and Golden Vultures) according to the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature). The Himalayan Griffon, Hadfor and Cinereous Vultures are also on the near-endangered status.In 2003, scientists discovered that <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=4156#.X1NJ_y0w0Wo" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">an analgesic called Diclofenac</a> used to treat sick livestock was causing the decline. The residue of the steroid in the carcasses of livestock caused kidney failure in vultures, but not other scavengers. Studies have shown that just 30ml of Diclofenac can kill as many as 800 vultures.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109111144/636b84879c7e80680e06779djpeg.jpg" alt="" width="800" height="541"><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>The total number of vultures across Nepal declined from 1.6 million in the 1980s to less than 20,000 today. Moreover, only 50-75 Slender-billed Vultures are remaining in Nepal, and half the remaining 2,000 White-rumped Vultures are expected to disappear in the next ten years.In 2006, South Asian countries including Nepal <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=10759#.YJooci2B0b1" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">banned Diclofenac</a>, and Nawalparasi district saw the opening of several ‘vulture restaurants’ that serve safe meat for vultures to feed on. Since then, Bird Conservation Nepal (BCN) has set up seven more such feeding centres in Rupandehi, Dang, Kailali, Kaski and Sunsari districts across the Tarai and foothills.The <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=16689#.YJooay2B0b1" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">‘raptor restaurants’ are managed locally</a>, aging livestock are reared and upon their natural death the uncontaminated meat is fed to the birds. The effort saw a significant revival of the vulture population in Nepal.Investigations are continuing into the deaths of the 69 vultures last month at Palhi Multiple Campus in Ramgram Municipality of West Nawalparasi. The National Forensic Science Laboratory in Kathmandu is still trying to determine the type of poison used to kill the street dogs on which the vultures fed."Once we get the test results back from the laboratory, we will know which pesticide was used to kill the dogs and how strong it was,” says Shankar Prasad Gupta, Division Forest Officer of West Nawalparasi. “We will then proceed to stop such use in future.”<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109111144/636b848a9c7e80680e06779ejpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1920" height="1024"><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>Nepal’s ornithologists and bird conservationists, who had worked so hard to save vultures are still in a state of shock.“It is a tremendous loss for so many of the endangered vultures to be killed in one place at one time,” says Ankit Bilas Joshi of the National Bird Conservation Association. He says that despite the Diclofenac ban, other non-steroidal drugs toxic to vultures and eagles are still being used to treat livestock.<a style="font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: 0.01em;" href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=17462#.YJoofS2B0b2" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Vultures</a> get a bad rap, and are culturally considered repulsive for feeding on carcasses, which has added to the challenge in their conservation. But this negative perception does a disservice to their contribution to scavenging, in balancing the ecosystem and the food chain.By consuming carrion, raptors reduce the spread of disease among humans and cattle alike. When vultures nearly became extinct in the Subcontinent animal carcasses lay rotting in the fields and jungles, spreading pathogens.But the work must go on, and Nepal is developing the world’s first vulture sanctuary, stretching over 30,000sq km. Unlike other protected areas, it will not have a defined perimeter, but it will be free of Diclofenac and other chemicals.In 2008, the Nepal government also set up a vulture conservation and breeding centre in Kasara in the Chitwan National Park. A ‘Vulture Conservation Action Plan 2009-2013’ has been approved and implemented followed by a second action plan 2015-2019. Under the campaign, 74 districts (except Kathmandu, Lalitpur and Bhaktapur) have been declared Diclofenac free.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109111144/636b848d9c7e80680e06779fjpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1100" height="737"><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>Collectively, these strong local and national conservation efforts had helped to improve food availability and habitat improvement leading to the vulture population either stabilising or rising in numbers. But experts say Nepal alone cannot rescue the birds from extinction.“Vultures fly long distances and because of their migratory nature, we need coordinated international conservation effort to protect these endangered species from perishing,” says ornithologist Krishna Bhusal, citing the example of a vulture with a geo-locator which last year flew from Nepal across north India to Kashmir.In the past four years, at least 31 vultures tagged with satellite tracking devices have been released to study their movements. An additional 30 wild vultures fitted with satellite trackers have been found to roam an area of 25,000 sq km in the Tarai and the foothills of the Himalaya.Vultures mate for life, they nest and rear their chicks together. However, of the nine species found in Nepal, only six build nests on trees, while the Himalayan Griffon, Hadfor and Egyptian Vultures build theirs on cliffs.

Nepal’s vultures: Between existence and extinction

<figure><img width="2316" height="1470" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109181124/636be2ca9c7e80680e083ecbjpeg.jpg" alt=""/><figcaption>A Green Imperial Pigeon spotted for the first in Nepal by wildlife photographer Devendra Kharel in Jhapa last week. Photos: DEVENDRA KHAREL</figcaption></figure>On 24 November, wildlife photographer Devendra Kharel was near Nepal’s lowest point in Jhapa district when a bird perched on a nearby tree caught his eye.He instinctively peered through his camera’s tele lens and he could not believe what he saw. Could it be the Green Imperial Pigeon that he had only seen in bird books? The bird had never been sighted in Nepal before, so to make sure Kharel emailed some of the photographs he took to Nepal’s most prominent ornithologist Hem Sagar Baral at Bird Conservation Nepal.Baral confirmed that it was indeed a Green Imperial Pigeon and its sighting at only 70m above sea level on Nepal’s south-eastern tip near the Indian border. The reason Devendra Kharel’s sighting on 24 November is important is because it added the Green Imperial-Pigeon to Nepal’s bird list. <figure><img width="800" height="996" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109181124/636be2cd9c7e80680e083eccjpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>With more and more dedicated wildlife photographers like Kharel, the number of <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/the-great-trans-himalayan-bird-migration/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/the-great-trans-himalayan-bird-migration/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1606576658276000&amp;usg=AFQjCNFnw9bzUlpvkMb6sAr3hxkacwRSpQ">new bird species in Nepal</a> could increase further and encourage further growth of Nepal as a destination for bird tourism. For example, birders in Bhaktapur recently spotted <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/eurasian-curlew-visits-kathmandu-after-50-years/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/eurasian-curlew-visits-kathmandu-after-50-years/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1606576658276000&amp;usg=AFQjCNEFjFN71X1XpLKuOr5ZAhaROFNypw">Eurasian Curlew</a> for the first time in 50 years in Kathmandu.Nepal has nearly 10% of all bird species found worldwide, and among them 77, <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/saving-nepals-flyway-for-migrating-cranes/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/saving-nepals-flyway-for-migrating-cranes/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1606576658276000&amp;usg=AFQjCNH7KyKSFiA8786y9E_mJ83F9-ZN3w">mostly migratory birds</a>, are seriously threatened. A further, 167 species are nationally threatened.The Green Imperial Pigeon is known by its scientific name Ducula aenea, and has green-tinted feathers on its back, tail and wings, a pearl grey neck, chest, and abdomen. The nape of its neck and its legs are reddish, while its beak is bluish in colour. The pigeon's back has a rainbow hue, and it can even change its colour with the weather.  The bird survives on leaves, wild fruit, and flowers and has a lifespan of 6-7 years, the Green Imperial Pigeon inhabits forested areas up to 1,000 m above the sea level in the subcontinent and has been spotted in southeast Asia as well.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_C4DRu29zA&amp;feature=emb_logoNepal is home to a variety of wild and domestic pigeons, most of which might look the same to the unaccustomed eye. Indeed, one can find wild pigeons by the hundreds on the cliffs of Chobhar in the Kathmandu Valley and in other parts of the country.The chapter 'Variation under domestication' in Charles Darwin's 1859 book On the Origin of Species discusses the origins and diversity of breeds of pigeons. Darwin postulated that all domesticated pigeons originated from the wild pigeon species Columba livia, the common pigeon. He said there were many subspecies of domestic pigeons native to different geographical families that might differ only in small details from one another. In Nepal, the common pigeon Columba livia is also called malewa. Domesticated some 10,000 years ago, a subspecies was christened Columba livia domestica. Pigeons in Nepal are differentiated, and can be identified, by the altitudes at which they live. There are lekaali malewa, or hill pigeons (Columba rupestris) that live on crevices on cliffs, and himali malewa, or snow pigeons (Columba leuconota) which inhabit the high Himalaya.  <figure><img width="1100" height="733" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109181124/636be2cf9c7e80680e083ecdjpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption>Green Imperial Pigeon spotted in Sri Lanka. Photo: ERIC TAAN</figcaption></figure>Three other subspecies of wild pigeons are also found in Nepal -- the common wood pigeon (Columba palumbus), the speckled pigeon (Columba guinea) and the ashy wood pigeon (Columba pulchricollis). Carol Inskipp et al wrote in their 2016 book The Status of Nepal's Birds: The National Red List Series (Volume 2) that only one subspecies of the Ducula pigeon -- the mountain imperial pigeon (Ducula badia) has been found in Nepal. Inskipp’s book will now have to be amended. Kamal Maden is a botanist.

Rare wild pigeon sighted in Nepal

<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109171148/636bda349c7e80680e080257jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="2300" height="1506"/><figcaption>Demoiselle Cranes flying south in autumn along the Kali Gandaki at Kagbeni with Mt Dhaulagiri looming in the background. Photos: RAJENDRA SUWAL</figcaption></figure>It was in Kagbeni in 1980. High above in the deep blue Himalayan sky was a flock of graceful Demoiselle Cranes, flying north riding up-valley winds on their <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/Nepali-Times-Buzz/birds-of-passage-Nepal,2921" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/Nepali-Times-Buzz/birds-of-passage-Nepal,2921&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1602376683686000&amp;usg=AFQjCNFWYVE7LOY1bjdTHz0_Zi04BIgMPA">annual migration</a> across the Himalaya. It was my lucky day.The Kali Gandaki at this point is the deepest gorge in the world, located between two eight thousander peaks, Dhaulagiri and Annapurna I. It provides a passage for migratory birds from the Tibetan Plateau and Siberia to the Subcontinent and back.Kagbeni is a vantage point to spot migratory birds, and I had visited it multiple times to provide expertise for filming by NHK and BBC. Till then, I had never seen the cranes, only watched them on Planet Earth Mountains on Discovery Channel.Demoiselle Cranes are the third most common crane species after the Sandhill Crane in North America and Eurasian Crane in Europe and Asia. They number over 200,000, and demonstrate spectacular migratory flights.They breed in the vast expanses of the steppe grasslands of Mongolia and Russia, and fly south across the Tibetan Plateau and the Himalaya to winter in western India.Unlike other cranes that dwell on wetlands, these cranes prefer relatively dry habitats for survival. Their nests can be found on dry ground around 500m apart from each other.Prior to migration, the birds flock with their fledglings. Birds from Mongolia and Russia overflying Nepal and Pakistan covering nearly 3,000km one way, and finally converge in western India, where they live in large flocks in their wintering grounds.They can fly over extreme habitats of the world including the scorching Gobi Desert, the high and dry Tibetan Plateau, the Himalaya with its jet stream, the lush Gangetic Plains and the farms of Western India.Satellite telemetry studies have recorded a <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/the-great-trans-himalayan-bird-migration/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/the-great-trans-himalayan-bird-migration/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1602376683686000&amp;usg=AFQjCNEVeULiv_aGZnCsiDtV0Vo6KU3L0Q">cyclic migration pattern</a> of Demoiselle Cranes, flying over Nepal during autumn and returning via Mongolia in spring. During their autumn migration, birders can see magnificent flocks of Demoiselle over Nepal’s high mountain passes, gorges and along the Tarai. Farmers in Nepal often witness flocks flying in V formation like a swaying garland pattern in the sky, and call it ‘karyang kurung’ for the sound the make.In 1972, a flock of Demoiselle even alighted on Tundikhel at the centre of Kathmandu. More recently, I have observed them flying over my office in Baluwatar in 2015, and from my house in Chetrapati in 2016.But for these migrating cranes, Kagbeni remains the flight path of choice since the Kali Gandaki serves as a funnel that cuts through the Himalaya. My highest count of the Demoiselle has ranged from 50,000 in 2004 to only 5,000 in 2009.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109171148/636bda389c7e80680e080258jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1510" height="1000"><figcaption>Another flock of Demoiselle Cranes flying north in spring, riding the up-valley thermals of the Kali Gandaki to lift them over the mountains to the Tibetan Plateau.</figcaption></figure>Variance in counting can be tied to weather, wind and visibility. When the wind in the Himalaya picks up, the flocks descend to lower altitudes. When they have the jet stream on their tails, they ride it over the mountains.For these expert fliers, the flight path is determined by head or tail winds, thermals, katabatic winds, and other weather phenomena. Thermals in the wind shadow of the mountains helps them gain altitude.In Nepal, the southerly daily thermals of the Kali Gandaki valley helps the birds soar up and over the mountains, whereas, riverbanks, wetlands and farms along the flight path are convenient night stops.These wetlands connect the dots along the birds’ migration routes, and Nepal lies in the <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/page/decline-in-birds-of-migration-nepal" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://archive.nepalitimes.com/page/decline-in-birds-of-migration-nepal&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1602376683686000&amp;usg=AFQjCNEMCt4MH3fr9o9Mfzu3EpqT-WJdNw">Central Asian Flyway</a>. During bad weather events, the birds use the windswept flood plains of the Kali Gandaki river in Kagbeni and Larjung of Annapurna Conservation Area as a safe stopover, while the buckwheat terraces provide food for their long journeys.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109171148/636bda3c9c7e80680e080259jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="774"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>While large in number, these birds still need protection from threats along their migratory routes and stopovers. These include poisoning from pesticide laden seeds, and from epidemics of water borne or airborne diseases.In <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/blogs/thebrief/2018/02/16/mongolian-raptor-in-nepal/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://archive.nepalitimes.com/blogs/thebrief/2018/02/16/mongolian-raptor-in-nepal/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1602376683686000&amp;usg=AFQjCNGTIQbTCpl1pNTbc7ArUuZ-RCPdvw">Mongolia</a>, the application of the rodenticide Bromadiolone is known to have killed hundreds of Demoiselle Cranes, Steppe Eagles, Saker Falcons and other species. In November last year, 37 Demoiselle were found dead in Jodhpur in India, probably after eating poisoned seeds.In North-West Frontier Province of Pakistan, crane hunters are the biggest threat during migration. Metal weights tied to strings are hurled to lasso the cranes as they fly low to clear mountain passes. Traditional hunters in Pakistan often use live cranes as decoys to attract other birds, and keep them as pets.Ensuring safe and protected wetlands and farms along their migratory routes from Russia, Mongolia, China, Tibet, Pakistan, Nepal to India along the Central Asian Flyway is crucial to ensure the long term survival of these birds.<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/himalayan-ecosystem-is-important-for-sarus/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/himalayan-ecosystem-is-important-for-sarus/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1602376683686000&amp;usg=AFQjCNFyWKHCBDGHmYeapMRHQOiOThrblw">Legend has it</a> that Lord Buddha’s cousin killed a crane, and he was very moved when its mate mourned its death. The scene changed his life by inspiring him to seek a path of non-violence and compassion.One of the approaches undertaken by WWF, known as the <a href="https://wwf.panda.org/our_work/our_focus/freshwater_practice/freshwater_inititiaves/asian_flyways_initiative/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://wwf.panda.org/our_work/our_focus/freshwater_practice/freshwater_inititiaves/asian_flyways_initiative/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1602376683686000&amp;usg=AFQjCNGmKkjAdwHAjLK7clvuQxaYvOGEcA">Asian Flyway Initiative</a>, aims to provide safe passage between the breeding and wintering sites of cranes. Similarly, creating awareness about safe farming practices and promoting bird watching tourism are some of the viable options to help protect Demoiselle Cranes.The designation of 10 Ramsar Sites, identification of wetlands of international importance for biodiversity in Nepal provides <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/Nepali-Times-Buzz/birds-of-passage-Nepal,2921" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/Nepali-Times-Buzz/birds-of-passage-Nepal,2921&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1602376683686000&amp;usg=AFQjCNFWYVE7LOY1bjdTHz0_Zi04BIgMPA">stopover sites</a> for many ducks geese and waders during migration.Demoiselle Cranes, however, require wide riverbeds and farmlands as stopover sites and wintering habitats. World Migratory Bird Day on 10 October aims to generate awareness and seek support for the conservation of these legendary migratory species so that they survive into the future.Rajendra N. Suwal is the Head of Partnerships Development at WWF Nepal.

Saving Nepal’s flyway for migrating cranes

<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022110915110/636bb3419c7e80680e07bb2djpeg.jpg" alt="" width="800" height="541"/><figcaption>White-rumped vulture. photo: ANKIT BISHAL JOSHI</figcaption></figure>Vultures get a lot of bad press.Unlike other birds which are praised for their melodious song or bright plumage, vultures have been traditionally reviled for feeding greedily on carcasses, and what many see is as a repulsive look. In many cultures, they are considered an ill omen and the Nepali language has many derogatory phrases like गिद्धे दृष्टि.A famous dialogue in the critically acclaimed and commercially successful recent Nepali movie Loot proclaims Kathmandu as a ‘the city of vultures’. What an insult to vultures.This negative perception of vultures does not take into account the enormous ecosystem services provided by the raptors in consuming carrion, and reducing the spread of disease.In fact, when vultures nearly became extinct in the Subcontinent in the past two decades because of the use of the veterinary <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=4156#.X1NJ_y0w0Wo" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id%3D4156%23.X1NJ_y0w0Wo&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1599381664331000&amp;usg=AFQjCNHxxa57JlGitZOkej0lUcJbTDX2pA">anti-inflammatory drug diclofenac</a>, animal carcasses lay rotting in the fields and jungles becoming hotbeds for pathogens.South Asia first started seeing a massive decline in its vulture population starting the 1990s, and no one quite knew why. The White-rumped, Long-billed and Slender-billed vultures declined by more than 99% in India and Pakistan.In the Nepal, between 1995 and 2001, there was a 96% decline in the Slender-billed vulture population, and the numbers of White-rumped vultures had gone down by 91% until 2011.Researchers then zeroed in on the cause: the use of the analgesic diclofenac to treat sick livestock. Residue of the drug in the carcasses of those animals when consumed by vultures caused their kidneys to fail. Studies have shown that just 30ml of diclofenac can kill as many as 800 vultures.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022110915110/636bb3449c7e80680e07bb2ejpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1920" height="1024"><figcaption>White-rumped vultures. Photo: NATIONAL TRUST FOR NATURE CONSERVATION/SAGAR GIRI</figcaption></figure>The good news is that Nepal has established itself as a <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=17462#.X1NJ9y0w0Wo" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id%3D17462%23.X1NJ9y0w0Wo&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1599381664331000&amp;usg=AFQjCNHY1OVua4wGzUSfFspuMVNWDrGmZA">pioneer in vulture conservation</a> over the years, and the birds are now showing signs of coming back.Nepal is home to nine species of vultures of which seven have undergone considerable decline in recent years. The White-rumped vulture (Gyps bengalensis), Slender-billed vulture (Gyps tenuirostis), <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/Nepali-Times-Buzz/discovery-of-new-breed-of-vultures-in-Nepal,961" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/Nepali-Times-Buzz/discovery-of-new-breed-of-vultures-in-Nepal,961&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1599381664331000&amp;usg=AFQjCNGUbaD3na07UIbR1HCzYaYm6YnLCw">Red-headed vulture</a> (Sarcogyps calvus) and Indian vulture (Gyps indicus) are in the IUCN critically endangered list.<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022110915110/636bb3479c7e80680e07bb2fjpeg.jpg" alt="" width="524" height="1018">The Egyptian vulture (Nephron percnopterus) is listed as endangered, and three species – Bearded vulture (Gypaetus barbatus), Cinerous vulture (Aegypius monachus) and Himalayan Griffon (Gyps himalayensis) -- are near threatened.The first Vulture Conservation Summit in Kathmandu in 2004 took three key decisions: <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=10759#.X1NK4i0w0Wo" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id%3D10759%23.X1NK4i0w0Wo&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1599381664332000&amp;usg=AFQjCNHnLixxdYVVdQue3SYrUgdAKQOkgg">ban the use of diclofenac</a>, establish breeding centres for endangered vultures, and rehabilitate them in the wild.In 2006, diclofenac was banned by the <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=19320#.X1NKDy0w0Wo" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id%3D19320%23.X1NKDy0w0Wo&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1599381664332000&amp;usg=AFQjCNFNG54dhT2eUMhXS592_RyN4U8Fcg">governments of South Asia</a>. The same year, Nepal opened world’s first food centre for the birds called the <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/Nepali-Times-Buzz/vulture-restaurant,1163" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/Nepali-Times-Buzz/vulture-restaurant,1163&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1599381664332000&amp;usg=AFQjCNHl7sdPj-Lo_b4tYb0jYVnRh-WenA">‘Vulture Restaurant’</a> locally known as ‘Jatayu Restaurant’ in Nawalparasi district.<a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=16689#.X1NLDS0w0Wo" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id%3D16689%23.X1NLDS0w0Wo&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1599381664332000&amp;usg=AFQjCNFFvIyNtL2LWYW6GHCThGjyXA0U_Q">Operated and managed locally</a> in an effort to provide the birds of prey with uncontaminated meat, it saw a significant revival of vulture populations in the area. Seven more ‘vulture restaurants’ have been set up across the Tarai and mid-hill districts: Rupandehi, Dang, Kailali, Kaski and Sunsari.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9twp67MdPs&amp;feature=emb_logoSimilarly, a vulture conservation and breeding centre was set up in Kasara in the Chitwan National Park in 2008. The same year a 'Vulture Conservation Action Plan 2009-2013' was approved and implemented followed by a second action plan 2015-2019. The campaign has seen 74 districts (except Kathmandu, Lalitpur and Bhaktapur) declared diclofenac free.At present, Nepal is on the verge of establishing the world's first vulture sanctuary – which will not have a defined perimeter like other protected areas, but will stretch over 30,000sq km divided into inner core area and a buffer zone. The amount of diclofenac in the core area should be zero and less than 1% in the buffer region.In order to increase the population of vultures in these protected areas, 31 vultures tagged with satellite devices have been released into the natural habitat in the last three years. Additional monitoring of 30 wild vultures fitted with satellite equipment is being carried out.Despite these achievements, vulture conservation is not without challenges. Most conservation programs are limited to the Tarai and hence should be expanded to the mid-hills and the mountains.Apart from diclofenac, other chemicals such as nimuslide, aceclofenac, and ketoprofen also appear to be harmful to vultures and regular monitoring to prevent excessive use of these drugs is recommended. Additional risks also come from declining natural habitat, food shortage and transmission lines.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022110915110/636bb3499c7e80680e07bb30jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1100" height="737"><figcaption>Indian and Slender-billed vultures. Photo: ANKIT BISHAL JOSHI</figcaption></figure>Vultures mate for life, they stay together from nesting to hatching to rearing their young ones. They are found primarily in the Tarai and mid-hill forests of western Nepal and generally prefer to nest in enormous simal trees.Despite the negative perception of vultures in culture and folklore, the birds have religious, cultural and environmental significance. Hindus worship it as the vehicle of Saturn. In the Ramayana, the vulture Jatayu fought till his last breath when Ravana abducted Sita. The practice of feeding the deceased to vultures is still prevalent in Himalayan communities that worship the scavenger as carriers of human souls to heaven.More importantly, in the absence of vultures there will be no scavengers to dispose of carrion, leading to disease outbreaks among humans and cattle.In monetary terms, one vulture in its lifetime saves about $11,000 for its role in carcass management.It is in our interest to invest in vulture conservation. The first Saturday of September every year is marked as the International Vulture Awareness Day and it is in its 12th edition this year, Nepal should commit to work together with the communities, governments, environmentalists and conservation groups, because by protecting vultures we preserve biodiversity, and ultimately the safety and health of human beings.<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022110915110/636bb34c9c7e80680e07bb31jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="88" height="103">Karun Dewan is with the World Wildlife Fund, Nepal.

Nepal is a model for vulture conservation

Architecture can be a powerful agent of change, shaping not just spaces but the way people live, connect, and experience the world.&nbsp; For Nepal, which is <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/banner/natures-fragile-gift-to-nepal">gifted by nature</a> and rich in <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/Nepali-Times-Buzz/ambassador-fund-cultural-preservation-nepal,2092">cultural heritage</a>, &nbsp;reviving rural architecture with modern amenities could hold the key to more <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/what-sustainable-tourism-means-in-practice">sustainable tourism </a>that benefits local people more. “<a href="https://nepalitimes.com/banner/bayalpata-hospital-in-nepal-wins-global-design-award">Design and architecture</a> are amazing tools to create a unique experience for visitors,” says Spanish architect Tomeu Esteva of Esteva i Esteva Architecture Studio. “Difficult destinations have beautiful hotels with design and comfort.” Esteva was in Kathmandu with his colleagues at an event organised by the Spanish Honorary Consulate at Dwarika’s Hotel last week to showcase buildings which Nepali architects can adapt with local material and design inputs.&nbsp; Rural architecture holds a unique significance: it is more than a shelter and must reflect <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/inking-an-idenity">local identity, culture</a> and <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/saving-humla-from-heritage-loss">heritage</a>. An area’s natural and cultural harmony can be upset by <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/protecting-protected-areas-from-infrastructure?fbclid=IwAR1wK0MDFlFST_2EYb3f54LS4-fPt6rYfLG1DJ1JaQsU3w8-ezyXIxGOqzk">poorly planned development</a>, speakers at the event said, but the environment can be improved and revitalised by well-integrated structures.&nbsp; Another Spanish architect, Belen Moneo, has designed hotels at elevations of 3,700m in her home country Spain that supply natural spring water spas. “<a href="https://nepalitimes.com/banner/lost-in-reconstruction">Creativity in construction</a> must be encouraged. Rural architecture always shows possibilities of what we can do better,” Moneo explains, adding that designs must enhance <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/opinion/the-healing-power-of-nature">the beauty of nature</a> and give a natural feel at a time when steel, glass and cement dominate <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/rebuilding-kathmandu-after-the-1934-quake">urban design</a>.&nbsp; This is why the <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/weaving-nature-into-craft">use of natural products</a> such as bamboo, local timber, straw and rammed earth are in demand from customers who want a fresh eco-friendly look encouraged in construction of rural architectural structures. The demand for boutique hotels has increased world over, with &nbsp;more and more tourists favouring aesthetics, experience and comfort over price. While creativity is an important part of <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/architecture-for-mountains">construction and architecture</a>, incentives to build and use <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/nation/Building,370">rural construction materials</a> still remain minimal, and Moneo emphasises the significance of design and execution.&nbsp; Esteva helped design the Vana Retreat in Dehradun that kept the natural environment in focus, with the structure giving an elaborate aesthetic experience to visitors. Another example is Hotel Las Mercedes in the Dominican Republic which was designed and constructed by Moneo and the company she co-founded Moneo Brock, respecting and revaluing the traditional architecture of the area. Hotels providing such experience could attract tourists and revenue. The Spanish ambassador to Nepal Juan Antonio March Pujol said, “The role of architecture and architects in developing tourism is crucial, not only in urban areas but rural settings as well.”&nbsp; The concept of rural boutique hotels gained traction in Spain during the 1990s, particularly in regions like Majorca with economic and environmental sustainability as the main focus. In Nepal <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/opinion/12-full-opinion/guiding-nepal-s-tourism-industry">the tourism industry</a> directly employs about 1 million people, and makes up about 8% of the country’s GDP. In Nepal, the stone homes of <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/reviving-himalayan-vulture-and-culture">Mustang and Manang</a>, bamboo and mud structures of <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/the-tarai-s-shrinking-forests">the Tarai</a>, and the Kathmandu Valley’s terra cotta tile skylines, graceful temples, and tranquil bahal courtyards are all examples of <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/nepal-s-traditional-seismic-resistant-designs">Nepal’s traditional architecture</a>.&nbsp; Nepali architect Sarosh Pradhan has been working for the past eight years on the Brakka Village project in Manang Valley north of <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/banner/municipalities-want-to-manage-annapurna">the Annapurnas</a>. Other examples of this kind of rural architecture for high-end tourism are the Shinta Mani Hotel in Mustang and Khumbu Lodge below <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/mt-everest-pvt-ltd">Mt Everest</a>. Says Pradhan, “There are places in Nepal that radiate purity and embrace simplicity. Creating projects in such settings require deep reflection and thoughtful planning.”  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20250421030444_a07a23f6b60fa89c0f35b9dc1aaf19937da4881e6bfb2e1858f3c27dff91729f.jpg" data-media-id="editor_19" data-image-id="20250421030444_a07a23f6b60fa89c0f35b9dc1aaf19937da4881e6bfb2e1858f3c27dff91729f" data-rendition-name="original" width="4608" height="2184" loading="lazy" alt="A new architecture for Nepal's tourism"> </figure>  Rural architecture is not easy, and sometimes more expensive. Inflation, energy efficiency, <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/those-who-stay">the climate crisis</a>, and <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/banner/cost-of-living-in-a-big-city">increased costs of living</a> pose obstacles to sustainable rural architecture. Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/forgotten-international-starchitects-in-nepal">Forgotten international starchitects in Nepal</a>, Anne Feenstra and Varun S Bapu Esteva says faith and trust between client and architect is necessary for any project to be successful. He adds that architects must practice being humble, the process of designing always involves learning and not imposing their ideas on clients. Nepal is uniquely positioned for the growth of <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/banner/hiking-up-the-benefits-of-tourism">rural tourism</a> because of its stunning countryside as well as its internationally renowned traditions in holistic wellness. Creating infrastructure that is small, thoughtfully planned and that respects both tradition and contemporary hospitality standards is crucial. “Projects in Nepal can be made cost effective by using materials from houses that have been brought down,” says Esteva. “Pilot projects involving <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/banner/local-government-by-the-people-for-the-people-of-the-people">local people </a>and simple designing also helps the process.” <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/banner/vacant-homes-become-homestays-in-nepal">The growth of homestays in Nepal</a> is a step in the right direction, but they are still a bit too rustic for the international traveller who also wants comfort and is willing to pay extra for it. Upgrading the facilities in homestays and ensuring that the <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/an-archive-of-nepali-heritage">architectural heritage</a> of the locality is preserved using locally sourced building material could allow owners to charge more. Says Sangita Shrestha of Dwarika’s Hotel, “Our effort is to build upon rural architecture by empowering local communities and using what is available locally. We can fine tune and encourage indigenous design and training.” The vision goes beyond just boosting the economy, it is about building a future where tourism helps villages grow in a healthy and lasting way. Instead of using up resources, it gives back to the land and the people. It supports local communities by<a href="https://nepalitimes.com/opinion/staying-in-nepal-to-create-jobs"> creating jobs</a>, improving infrastructure, and protecting natural beauty. When done right, tourism can be a tool for <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/editorial/progress-and-or-preservation">preserving culture and nature</a>, not harming them. Architects must therefore see their work as more than just designing buildings, they also need to care deeply about people and places, especially in rural areas that can benefit the most.&nbsp; With global interest in sustainable and off-the-beaten-path travel increasing, Nepal stands at the cusp of a <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/missing-out-on-nepal-s-tourism-potential">tourism transformation</a> that values community-driven, eco-conscious hospitality. A mix of modern ideas and traditional knowledge could transform rural tourism in Nepal. Says Shrestha, “Young architects should spend time with <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/latest/the-unsung-heroes-of-conservation">local and indigenous communities</a>, listen to their stories, and learn from their <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/banner/life-and-livelihood-in-remote-nepal">ways of living</a>. These communities have deep knowledge about the land, materials, and climate. If this wisdom is used in new designs, it can help create tourism spaces that truly benefit everyone.” &nbsp;

A new architecture for Nepal's tourism

Extract from an addendum to Nepal's Two Wars, Chapter 2 in the updated edition of Essays on Nepal: Past and Present by Sam Cowan, a retired British Army general with a long association with the Gurkhas. The book was first published in 2018, and republished earlier this month by FinePrint exclusively on Amazon. The addendum details a one-to-one conversation the author had in the <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=8884">Royal Palace </a>with the <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=8371">King Gyanendra</a> in November 2002 just after he had taken his initial steps on the road that ultimately led to <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=14681">the abolition of the monarchy</a> in Nepal in 2008. In the early evening of September 16, 2002, in my role as Colonel Commandant of the Brigade of Gurkhas, I had my second and last official audience with King Gyanendra to give him an update on the Brigade’s activities over the previous 12 months. I had some 6 or 7 such audiences with <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/preserving-king-birendra-s-family-home">King Birendra</a>.&nbsp; These were official affairs with the British ambassador of the day present, along with key <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=12233">palace officials</a> and a representative from Nepal's Foreign Ministry. The two monarchs were very different in character and temperament, but both treated me with the utmost civility and made the audiences as relaxed and easy for me as possible.&nbsp; It is, however, worth recording that when the official business had been covered, King Birendra, with a twinkle in his eye, often ended by asking, “Now General, what’s the gossip in London?” The second audience with <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=8026">King Gyanendra </a>was my last official act in uniform. We came back to Kathmandu in the first week of November (after treks) to stay for a few nights with our Defence Attaché before heading back to the UK. Waiting for me was a message from the Palace saying that King Gyanendra would like to meet me informally: <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=6933">no uniform</a> and no ambassador.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20250421080420_f9046f9882d4481781d14f2b64f18c7fbbea62562e1d74e3465de6d01fb43750.jpg" data-media-id="editor_7" data-image-id="20250421080420_f9046f9882d4481781d14f2b64f18c7fbbea62562e1d74e3465de6d01fb43750" data-rendition-name="original" width="1750" height="2406" loading="lazy" alt="Gyanendra crowned page 1"> <figcaption>Nepali Times Special Edition of 6-14 June 2001 with enthronement of Gyanendra. </figcaption> </figure>   <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20250421080424_21333d6ae21828eb47fe3f849438d215fe2804460d47bb2896ef4aee4e895ad2.jpg" data-media-id="editor_8" data-image-id="20250421080424_21333d6ae21828eb47fe3f849438d215fe2804460d47bb2896ef4aee4e895ad2" data-rendition-name="original" width="1500" height="1857" loading="lazy" alt="Royal massacre"> <figcaption>Nepali Times 22-29 June 2001 covering the royal massacre after which Gyanendra became king. </figcaption> </figure>  Although I had no idea what the purpose of the meeting might be, events in Kathmandu since I last saw the king put me on edge. On October 4, 2002, Gyanendra had dismissed Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, allegedly for failing to hold <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/what-goes-on-in-nepal-s-elections">elections</a>. He had put in place a new prime minister and a cabinet personally selected by him. When I heard the news on my travels, the people I met were generally supportive of the king’s actions. There was a general view that something had to be done, the country was going nowhere, and the king deserved his chance, not least to solve<a href="https://nepalitimes.com/latest/14-years-after-conflict-no-closure-in-nepal"> the Maoist </a>problem. Back in Kathmandu, views were not so sanguine. The chosen prime minister, Lokendra Bahadur Chand, was a relic from <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/mob-movement-and-mayhem">the Panchayat period</a> whose party had failed to win a single seat in the last elections held in 1999. Some of the chosen cabinet ministers had, to put it mildly, dubious reputations, and others had no record of proven competence in any field. There was a fear that the king’s real motive in dismissing <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/editorial/deubas-denouement">Deuba</a> was to start to reverse the democratic gains made since 1990. I informed <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/nepal-britain-mark-centenary-of-1923-treaty">the British ambassador</a> about the invitation. He was strongly against accepting it, which was probably the clinching reason for my decision to do the polite thing and accept it. On the evening of November 7, 2002, I presented myself at the royal palace, alone and in civilian attire.&nbsp; As in the past, the Military Secretary, Major General Vivek Shah, met and escorted me into the presence of the monarch. This time, however, he was politely asked to leave the room and shut the door behind him. King Gyanendra greeted me warmly and invited me to sit down.&nbsp; Read also:<a href="https://nepalitimes.com/news/the-ghost-of-monarchy-returns-to-haunt-nepal"> The ghost of monarchy returns to haunt Nepal</a>, Shristi Karki  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20250421080424_e382af945d0ad2a04ae41fabe5393f793dd10f54cb1220f111c7c9e7423eb558.jpg" data-media-id="editor_15" data-image-id="20250421080424_e382af945d0ad2a04ae41fabe5393f793dd10f54cb1220f111c7c9e7423eb558" data-rendition-name="original" width="1000" height="993" loading="lazy" alt="Gyanendra coup"> <figcaption>Nepali Times 4-10 February 2005 after king Gyanendra's coup imposed media censorship. anendra became king. </figcaption> </figure>  I had wondered, and to be truthful, had worried, not just about the purpose of the meeting, but about how the conversation might start and develop. I reduced my resolve to two points: be polite but speak candidly. The latter resolve was quickly put to the test with the king’s opening words: “Sam, [in previous meetings it had been ‘General’, you walk the highways and byways of this land more than most, tell me what the common man is thinking?” &nbsp;“Your Majesty, I have no idea what they are thinking, but they are waiting.” “Waiting?” “Yes, Your Majesty, they are waiting to see whether what you did some weeks ago in appointing your own prime minister and cabinet ministers is going to make any difference to their lives or whether it is just going to be more Kathmandu hot air.” “Everything is going to be difficult and is going to take time, a lot of time.” “Your Majesty, time is the one thing you don’t have. You must act quickly and decisively to take advantage of the opportunity you have created. Everyone knows that you have appointed these new ministers. Why don’t you get them in here one by one and tell them that they have three months to deliver a programme in their area of responsibility that is going to make a difference to people’s lives? Most will fail to do so. Sack them! It will be a powerful signal of your strong intent to deliver real change.” I can express the opening of our conversation in this way because just about every word is still etched in my mind. The king’s response to my last quoted words was to challenge me to give an example of something that could be delivered quickly. I can give a verbatim record of what I said in response to this unexpected challenge: “Health posts, Your Majesty, there is no shortage of them throughout the country as building them has been one of the sources of local corruption, but very few have any medicine to issue at present or have skilled people to assess and meet medical needs. Your Majesty, children are dying for lack of a few pills. Given the right priority, over a period, say of six months, every health post could be fully stocked with medicine and manned with trained people. This is something I could help to lead for you as I know it would have strong international backing. At last, people would know that you mean business.” As I warmed to the theme, I could see no sign of the king having any enthusiasm for the idea, and I quickly disengaged as it dawned on me, as it had clearly dawned on the king, that the reason for the deficiencies in health posts was to prevent any Maoist combatant from gaining access to any <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/opinion/tech-away/nepal-s-health-tech-industry-is-here-to-stay">medical support</a>, and if this meant people suffering, so be it. The subject of the Maoist insurgency inevitably came up, and I took the opportunity to elaborate on what is written in the final four paragraphs of the article above. I advised King Gyanendra that, self-evidently, since there were three parties in the conflict—him, the Maoists, and the political parties—it was imperative that he form an alliance with one of them, preferably the political parties; otherwise, he would find himself isolated, as the other two parties would inevitably, at some stage, form their own alliance. However, it quickly became apparent that the king’s mind was on a totally different track. On the Maoists, he told me that he had channels open to them, but he was scathing about the political party leaders. He made it clear that they would be waiting for a very long time before he gave any power back to them, and that is a polite way of expressing the actual words he used, but “crawling through the door” is a phrase which has stuck in my mind.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20250421080424_5403455ff6168f0d202a96cb53edea69136d74d59b989cfcc7cc4a1d57672cb5.jpg" data-media-id="editor_17" data-image-id="20250421080424_5403455ff6168f0d202a96cb53edea69136d74d59b989cfcc7cc4a1d57672cb5" data-rendition-name="original" width="2000" height="1317" loading="lazy" alt="fall of monarchy"> <figcaption>Nepali Times 28 April-3 May 2005 with cover image by Ajay Joshi of jubilant protesters after street demonstrations sidelined king Gyanendra, paving the way for a ceasfire and restoration of democracy. </figcaption> </figure>  As the conversation developed, it became ever clearer that King Gyanendra had decided to go in alone, relying on the misleading assurances he was constantly receiving from <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=14954">the army</a>, and no doubt his close advisers, that the Maoists could and would be quickly defeated militarily, and taken out of the equation. This would obviate the need for him to do any deal with the political parties.&nbsp; Thus, the way would be clear for him to establish a version of his father’s Panchayat system, under a constitution that would be granted to the people by him, their sovereign, as his father and brother had done in 1962 and 1990. As in those constitutions, ultimate power would have remained in the sovereign’s hands. This proposed direction of travel was very clear from what the king said to me. In sum, King Gyanendra was motivated by a desire to emulate his immediate predecessors by granting his people a constitution that would restore his father’s Panchayat system in a modern form and give him a central role in decision-making. What was particularly dispiriting was that beyond this single objective he had no plan worthy of the name, nor demonstrably did he have the people with the skills to implement an appropriate plan even if one had existed. Crucially and depressingly, there was little or no indication from the king that he realised that such a course of action could put Nepal’s monarchy into serious jeopardy, as indeed proved to be the case. <h2>King Twice</h2>  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20250420110436_315d519fe3d68d2406ebe1480fed54720fbf21b8907a4da5cde751fdc623d445.jpg" data-media-id="editor_19" data-image-id="20250420110436_315d519fe3d68d2406ebe1480fed54720fbf21b8907a4da5cde751fdc623d445" data-rendition-name="original" width="1302" height="632" loading="lazy" alt="“Tell me what the common man is thinking!”"> </figure>  <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=8371">Gyanendra Bir Bikram Shah has been king twice</a>. In 1950 he was enthroned briefly as a child king (left, above) by the Rana Prime Minister Mohan Shumsher when his grandfather, King Tribhuvan, fled to exile in India. In 2001 he was crowned king again after the massacre in the royal palace in which his brother King Birendra and nine other members of his family were killed by Crown Prince Dipendra.&nbsp; During his second reign, Gyanendra gradually asserted power by sacking Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba in 2002, and then taking full control after the 1 February 2005 coup. He was sidelined after the ceasefire in April 2006, and became a commoner after the Constituent Assembly finally <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/from-nepali-press/Ftnp-abolishing,624">abolished the monarchy in 2008</a>. In the past year, Gyanendra has tried to exploit public dissatisfaction with the political parties to restore the monarchy.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20250421080432_26ef4a4b0e3cee9fdc6794446702efe16550d293904b4f6dd46fe35d4d10c788.jpg" data-media-id="editor_22" data-image-id="20250421080432_26ef4a4b0e3cee9fdc6794446702efe16550d293904b4f6dd46fe35d4d10c788" data-rendition-name="original" width="1136" height="702" loading="lazy" alt="Essays on Nepal by Sam Cowen"> </figure>

“Tell me what the common man is thinking!”

“It's Kathmandu.” Just as the family was sitting down for one of its extended lunches, that jubilant cry was from François Driard’s grandfather announcing the next posting for his diplomat parents.&nbsp; Driard (pictured) was 18 in the summer of 1996,<a href="https://nepalitimes.com/opinion/suburban-tales/chasing-a-nomad"> a bit of a hippie</a> already, and his life was about to change forever with the magical word “<a href="https://nepalitimes.com/banner/time-capsule-of-kathmandu">Kathmandu</a>”. “I was awed with that information from my grandfather, nothing else mattered … In France <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/tales-of-courage-and-suffering-cx95f89e">in the 1990s</a>, Kathmandu had a mythical aura,” Driard recalls. He came to Kathmandu for Christmas that year to visit his stepfather, the French Ambassador Michel Lummaux. It was to be the first of many visits during school holidays, before he decided to permanently settle down in Nepal. “Kathmandu, and Nepal, were very different then, it was magical, I liked the nature, the people, civilisation, temples, trees,” says Driard, who explored the country sitting on the top of buses. “Visitors talk about the crazy <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/banner/cost-of-living-in-a-big-city">urbanisation</a>, traffic jams today, and all that is true. But Kathmandu has not <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/loss-of-soul-and-soil">lost its soul</a>.” After his stepfather’s tenure in Nepal ended, Driard worked as a business reporter for international publications but decided he did not want to be anyone’s employee anymore. In 2007 he landed in Kathmandu with €20,000 in savings to invest.&nbsp; He knew a few crucial things about himself: he liked food and nature, which is very much tied up with his upbringing--full of lively conversations during lunch and dinner at the family table between <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/nepals-yak-cheese-is-on-world-map">abundant cheese, wine and cigars</a>. So he decided it would be cheese, and registered Himalayan French Cheese and went to the French Alps for a month to learn how to make Tomme de Savoie. “<a href="https://nepalitimes.com/banner/the-story-of-langtang-cheese">Cheese making is such an ancient craft </a>and so I thought I won’t need much money or studying which I hated and indeed, if you have a tamako bhado and fire you are set,” explains Driard. But Nepal’s temperature and humidity were not ideal, even at higher altitudes. The first customers for his cheese were the Hyatt Regency and Nina and Hager. But he needed to create a market for cheese in a country which only knew hard churpi in the north and soft paneer in the south. He started selling his cheeses at the Summit Hotel weekend market, expanding to his own 1905 Farmer’s Market which later moved to Le Sherpa in Maharajganj, where it is now, and also a market at Labim Mall in Pulchok. He had cow dairies in Nuwakot and Dhulikhel, and finally a yak cheese unit at 3,379m in Ramechhap. It was the yak blue cheese from here that went on to win a Gold Medal in France, putting Nepal’s French cheese on the world map. “People come and try our cheese at the market, they ask questions. There is a lot of education to be done about cheese,” adds Driard, who also has three cheese shops in the Valley. Driard now makes 25 types of cheese. The products are being noticed and every year he has French students coming to Nepal to learn the art of yak cheese making. “In France, one family or company makes one kind of cheese for generations. In that I’m very unique as a cheese artisan,” he says. “The students come in to learn but I tell them to also teach us something too, add another cheese to my collection.” Read also: <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/langtang-after-10-years">Langtang after 10 years</a>, Sonia Awale Being a foodie, Driard is now also dabbling in meat with his own charcuterie at Meatini with bacon, ham, sausage and pâtés. All of this is now served at his Emilio’s Pizza, a leafy hideaway in Lazimpat. His South Side in Moksh is probably the smallest wine bar in the world. “I call the process sublime,” says Driard of his ventures, which have grown organically. “You need the same temperature and humidity of 12°C and 80% for cheese, meat and wine.” Emilio’s speciality is the eight-cheese pizza (which has eight types of cheeses), and a pizza with bhutan topping (not the country but fried intestines and organs Nepali-style). He has opened a small branch at Courtyard in Pokhara.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20250426070456_bacae302c040dc18eeecdeafda72ddf06a6d2cec138ea9be7e45fe94cdf8b5b3.jpg" data-media-id="editor_8" data-image-id="20250426070456_bacae302c040dc18eeecdeafda72ddf06a6d2cec138ea9be7e45fe94cdf8b5b3" data-rendition-name="original" width="1500" height="1125" loading="lazy" alt="8 cheese pizza"> <figcaption>Eight-cheese pizza</figcaption> </figure>  With two artisanal cheese units, two farmers’ markets, a <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/the-meat-of-the-story">meat processing unit</a>, a bakery, and wine bar he now envisions a vineyard so he can add Nepali wine to his repertoire. Another future plan is to start up an agri-tourism business where customers can drink, eat and work in peace. In the past 20 years in Nepal, Driard has not always succeeded in his ventures but this hasn’t curbed his enthusiasm. He is learning as he goes, and like an old wine, Nepal is growing on him. Its slowness suits his French art de vivre with eating slowly outdoors, having conversation, importing less.&nbsp; “I have proven that with even a little money you can do a lot of things in Nepal,” adds Driard. “In the West, they easily invest half a million euros on a cheese factory, I invested 10 times less.”&nbsp;

Fromage, vin et charcuterie Népalais

Bhuthan भुठान starts with Bishnu Bahadur KC played by <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/Nepali-Times-Buzz/dhuwa-smoke-telefilm,2671">Hari Bansha Acharya</a> on a call, requesting to speak to the visa officer. By this point, he had <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/nepal-should-now-allow-visa-on-arrival">applied for a visa </a>to Bhutan 10 times, but was denied each time. KC was a <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/nepal-s-women-excel-in-sports-in-2024-z9ramyct">national football player </a>in Bhutan in 1988 before he and other Nepali-speaking Lhotsampa people were forced out of the country in the 1990s as part of the Druk regime’s ‘One Nation One People’ campaign. Over 100,000 Bhutanese Nepalis were forced out, driven across India and dumped in Nepal where they lived in seven<a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/elderly-left-in-bhutan-refugee-camp"> refugee camps</a> supervised by the United Nations and other charities until they were resettled in the United States, Australia, New Zealand and some European countries starting in 2007. In the fictional movie with the satirical English title The World’s Happiest Man, KC has resettled in the state of Ohio in the US but wishes to visit his home country once before he dies. Between flashbacks, we learn KC has died without having fulfilled his wish. &nbsp; The drama then focuses on KC’s two families from two marriages as they debate whether to cremate him as per <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/from-nepali-press/muslim-hindu,2996">Hindu rites </a>or give him a Christian burial. A mediator played by Hollywood actor Bruce Dern urges them to take a firm decision before it is too long.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20250430140420_b398a08091b866da2b0b8f6c1e6e26781609749aba896bfd2c68a10a519295c3.jpg" data-media-id="editor_5" data-image-id="20250430140420_b398a08091b866da2b0b8f6c1e6e26781609749aba896bfd2c68a10a519295c3" data-rendition-name="original" width="945" height="945" loading="lazy" alt="Bhutan, the movie"> </figure>  There are drawn out scenes of KC being baptised and when he is confronted by his first wife from Darjeeling played by Anuradha Majumdar, he says he changed his religion in the hope that he will be <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/opinion/comment/bhutan-s-refugees-between-hope-and-despair">allowed back in Bhutan</a>.&nbsp; We find out KC has a second wife, a Christian Nepali played by Puja Chand. Dayahang Rai as the younger son doesn’t have much screen time to flex his acting chops. &nbsp; Acharya competently portrays a man that is equal parts haunted by the memories of and longing for his home country. KC’s pain and loss is acute when he is teaching football to Gungun but between mid-scene, he freezes, perhaps lost in memories of being in Bhutan’s national team. &nbsp; In another scene, KC recalls his mother singing a lullaby in Dzongkha. He also has a box filled with medals, photographs and a football which he deflates with a knife in a powerful depiction of his <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/searching-for-a-homeland-away-from-home?fb_comment_id=1506516030025634">complicated emotions about his homeland</a>. KC keeps checking his mailbox in the hopes that his <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=4977">visa application</a> has been accepted. He says in Nepali: “If a tree that has already struck roots in one place is shifted to another, it will not survive.”  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20250430140420_4a9c27410326489576c04dedf40016bda3825e8f9663317f54fbfec4cbda6d34.jpg" data-media-id="editor_9" data-image-id="20250430140420_4a9c27410326489576c04dedf40016bda3825e8f9663317f54fbfec4cbda6d34" data-rendition-name="original" width="1422" height="2048" loading="lazy" alt="Bhutan, the movie"> </figure>  Dern’s character says that the <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/opinion/comment/nepal-s-transitional-justice-and-the-west-s-recalibration">western world</a> has become “lonely in pursuit of happiness”, another reference to Bhutan’s obsession with its Gross National Happiness index. Scenes shift quickly throughout making the story difficult to follow at times. The use of symbolism is a trite overdone. Nonetheless, भुठान is a nuanced depiction of raw pain and agony of losing one’s homeland. But one cannot help but leave the theatre feeling deflated. KC dies without having visited <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/here-now/small-bhutan-dreams-big">Bhutan</a>, but perhaps he does in his afterlife. It is up to the audience to create its own ending to this sad story of exile. भुठान Mad Monkey Films, 2025 Directed by Binod Paudel 102 minutes In cinemas in Nepal

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