Kathmandu, January 3
Ecologist at the Department of National Park and Wildlife Conservation Hari Bhadra Acharya on Sunday informed that a study is underway to translocate blackbuck to Chitwan district.
Acharya informs, the study is being carried out at Tikauli area in Ratnanagar Municipality for the management of the animals and a report will be submitted within this week, adds Acharya.
“We will translocate the animal to Chitwan in two months,” claims the Municipality Mayor Narayan Ban. He is hopeful that the move will result in an increase in tourist flow in the area.
A detailed study is being conducted on the number of blackbucks to be brought as well as the total expenditures for it and management of the animal. It has been estimated that at least 20 hectares of lands will be allocated for the animals. They would be translocated from Khairapur or Shuklaphanta, or both.
“This would be the second translocation we will carry out. In the first translocation, blackbucks were brought from Khairapur to Shuklaphanta,” Coordinator of the project Acharya informs. Translocation of the animal would play an important role in its species diversification and offspring conservation, tourism promotion and utilisation of unused lands, he says.
Chief Conservation Officer at the Chitwan National Park Ananath Baral informs that the way forward would be decided on the basis of the report submitted.
The study is being managed by a committee formed under his leadership, and consists of representatives of the Division Forest Office, local community forest, the municipality, and the National Trust for Nature Conservation and assistant ecologist at the Department, Hem Raj Acharya.
