Rare animals and birds of Nepal

a) Clouded leopard (Dhwase Chituwa)

Scientific name: Pardofelis nebulasa

General introduction: It is a mammalian carnivore. IT is one of the rare and protected wild species of Nepal. Its teeth, skin and other body parts are sold illegally at expensive rates. It is found to be illegally hunted by poachers and hunters. Laws have been made to ban its illegal hunting , export, and any other form of unauthorized commercial utilization.

Body features: Its color varies from gray, earthy brown, pale to rich yellowish brown. Abdominal part is while or pale tawny. Face seems marked with brown-yellowish and black cheek stripes. Circular stripes on the tail make it attractive. The body and tail are elongated. There are marks of large spots on the limbs and dorsal parts of the body.

weight: about 16-20 kg

height: about 0.8-0.9 meter.

food habitat: It preys on small and large mammals and birds. Upper canine teeth are bigger.

life span: about eight years

Habitat: Dense forest of tropical and sub-tropical zones of eastern Nepal: protected in Langtang National Park, Makalu Barun National Park and Annapurna Conservation Area

 

b) Red Panda (habre)

scientific name: Ailurus fulgens

General introduction: It is a mammalian omnivore. It is also listed as one of the rare and protected wild animals of Nepal. Its number is very low. It is an endangered wild animal. Its teeth, skin and other parts of body are sold illegally at expensive prices. It is found to be hunted illegally by poachers and hunters. Laws are made and enforced to ban illegal hunting or any other commercial utilization.

Body features: It has rusty red body color with dark red ears and gray or black stripes on its body. The tail has black rings, feet are black, ventral part is white, face and lower lips are white. It has a rounded head, pointed large ears and a stumpy muzzle.

Weight: about 10-15 kg

height: about 0.3-0.5 meter

food habitat: It preys upon small insects and grubs. Its main food items also include grass, roots, leaves. fallen fruits, bamboo shots, etc.

Habitat: Primarily in the temperate forest at an altitude of about 3,500 meters from the sea level: protected in Langtang National Park, Makalu-Barun National Park and Sagarmatha National Park and conservation areas.

 

c) One-horned rhinoceros (Ek Singe Gaida)

Scientific name: Rhinceros unicornis

General Introduction: It is a huge mammalian herbivore. It is the second largest terrestrial mammal on Earth. It is one of the rare and protected wild animals of Nepal. Its horn (khag), nail (khuri), teeth, skin, and other parts of body are sold illegally at expensive prices. It is hunted and killed by poachers and hunters. Such activities are illegally banned in Nepal.

Body features: Its horn, which is actually an extension of nasal bone, is very expensive and sold illegally. It has very thick and folded skin on its body. The folds are present on the front and back of shoulders and in front of the thighs and buttocks too, it is blackish gray in color.

Weight: about 2-4 thousand kg

Height: about 1.1-1.7 meters

Food habit: Its main food items are grass, shrubs, fodder, foliage and aquatic plants

Life span : about 40-50 years

Habitat : Their main habitat is the tropical Terai forests, swampy grasslands and watershed areas; protected in Chitwan National Park, Bardia National Park and Parsa Wildlife Reserve

 

d) Bengal Tiger (Pate Bagh)

Scientific name: Panthera tigris

General introduction: It is a mammalian carnivore. It is one of the rare and protected wild species of Nepal. Its teeth, skin, and other parts of body are sold illegally. It is hunted illegally by poachers and hunters.

Body features: Its body color varies from rich reddish-yellow to orange ruff with black stripes on all parts of the body except on the ventral surface of its belly. The ventral surface is milky white. It has black-spotted small ears.

Weight: about 130-200 kg

Height: about one meter

Food habit: It preys on small and large mammals, reptiles, mollusks, fishes, crabs and birds. Upper canine teeth are sharp and bigger.

Life span: about fifteen years

Habitat: Dense forest of tropical and sub-tropical zones of the Terai region; protected in Chitwan National Park, Bardia National Park and Suklaphata Wildlife Reserve

 

e) Asiatic Elephant ( Asian Hatti)

Scientific name: Elephas maximus

General introduction: It is a huge mammalian herbivore. It is the largest terrestrial mammal on Earth. It is also one of the rare and protected wild animals of Nepal.

It has a huge body with flat ears, small eyes, a thin tail and stumpy legs. Its tusk or ivory, skin, and other parts of the body are sold illegally. It is hunted and killed by poachers and hunters. Extreme punishment and fine have been provisioned in the acts of Nepal to protect this elephant.

Body features: Its body is massive and extremely huge with a large head and a strong muscular trunk with a nasal passage in front. It sucks water and collects food with the help of the trunk. Upper incisor teeth of male elephants are modified into tusks, which are highly expensive. It has a wide ears small eyes, and a small tail. It is blackish gray in colour.

Weight : about four to five thousand kg.

Height : about 2.5-3.5 meters

Food habit: Its main food items are grass, shrubs, fodder, foliage, wild fruits and other plants .

Life span: about 70 years

Habitat: Their main habitat is the thick tropical Terai forests; protected in Chitwan National Park, Bardia National Park and parsa Wildlife Reserve

 

f) Giant pied hornbill (Thulo Dhanesh)

Scientific name: Buceros bicornis

General introduction: It is listed among the rare birds of Nepal. It is an omnivore. It preys on insects, small vertebrates, and fruits. Two species of hornbill (i.e, small and large) are found in the Terai region of Nepal. It is hunted and killed illegally by poachers and hunters because its bone and fat is used in medical uses. Such activities are legally banned in Nepal.

 

Body features: It has a long beak with two small nostrils on its upper part. There is a distinct yellowish-flattened crest above its beak. Wings are highly developed. Body color is brownish black and white with a long tail.

Weight: 3-3.5 kgs.

Body length: 0.9 meter (with tail)

Life span: Observed about 50 years in captivity, lives longer in the natural habitat

Habitat: Its main habitat is tropical deciduous Terai forests. It is protected in Chitwan National Park, Bardia National Park, Shuklaphata Wildlife Reserve and Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve.

 

g) Asiatic rock python ( Ajingar)

Scientific name: Python molurus

General introduction:  The Python is the largest reptile of the world. It is nonpoisonous with a huge and long body structure. It is included in the list of rare reptiles of Nepal. It is a carnivore. It preys upon young and small vegetables  of the forest. Its mobility in the forest is less, and it captures its preys whenever it come close to it. It is hunted and killed by villagers to protect their domestic animals like young calves and goats from it, and sometimes thinking wrongly that it is poisonous. Such activities are banned in Nepal, because it is a creature protected by law.

Body features: It has a long body with a flat head. It is the largest and heaviest snake in the world. The body is light yellowish brown with thick circular patches of dark brown colour.

Weight: up to 90 kgs.

Body length:  up to seven meter

Life span: about 19 years

Habitat : Its main habitat is  the tropical deciduous Terai forests . It is protected in Chitwan National Park, Bardia National Park, Shuklaphata Wildlife Reserve and Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve .

 

Conservation Measures of Rare Animals and Birds

a) Study, research, and identification of rare animals and birds

The conservation program of any animal and bird can be carried out if we know the status of this creature. First, there  must be study and research works to identify the rare animals or birds.

b) Information and awareness of the importance and knowledge of rare animals and birds

After knowing about the status of a bird or an animal, there must be collection and dissemination of information about the habit, habitat, specific features,  environmental adaptation characters, other biotic and abiotic components close to them in the food chain and ecosystem , and other such important information and knowledge about these rare birds and animals.

c) Conservation of ecosystem

The ecosystem is common for all members of an ecosystem. Conservation of a single or a few rare creatures without a common and wide range conservation policy cannot be considered wise, because all the components in an ecosystem are interdependent and interrelated directly or indirectly with one another. That's why there must be a broad policy of the conservation of whole ecosystem in aggregate for the conservation of any rare creature in the ecosystem.

d) Restriction on hunting

Hunting has been seen as a big problem in the conservation of rare animals and birds. Frequently poachers, hunters, and smugglers enter the restricted areas of conservation and destroy valuable living creatures for commercial purpose. There must be restriction for hunting rare birds and animals for their proper conservation.

e) Formulation and implementation of laws

There are some laws in Nepal for conservation of rare birds and animals. These laws are not sufficient, and new laws should be formulated. Implementation of those laws is also a big problem for the administrators and concerned authorities because of an efficient network of hunters. A serious problem is that the network of hunters can, sometimes, have easy access to authority for illegal collection of listed animal products.d

f) Participation of local people in conservation

The role of local people around the habitat of rare birds and animals is very important in their conservation. If the local people are involved in conservation works, conservation becomes effective.

g) Conservation of ex-situ and in-situ

i. Ex-situ conservation of rare animals and birds:

It is the conservation of man-made or artificial habitat of rare animals and birds. The ex-situ conservation method is followed especially in the conservation of very rare and endangered animals and birds. Establishment of zoos, promotion of breeding centres, etc. are included in this method.

ii. In-situ conservation of rare animals and birds

It is the conservation of the natural habitat of rare animals and birds. In such a habitat, animals and birds live and reproduce naturally. It includes protection of the natural habitat of rare animals and birds. Establishment of national parks and wildlife reserves, conservation of natural habitats  like forests and watershed areas, conservation of water resources for conservation of aquatic animals, etc. are included in this method.