Kathmandu, January 10
Wildlife animal parts have gone missing from Bardiya National Park‘s storage area.
According to the park, 25 tiger jaws and one rhino horn have been missing from storage.
This came to attention after Ashok Bhandari took over as the new park warden. However, sources say Bishnu Prasad Shrestha, the warden before Bhandari’s appointment, was aware these items were missing.
According to those involved in the investigation, both Bhandari and Shrestha chose not to inform the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation about the missing items.
During a conversation with Onlinekhabar, Shrestha denied that he was aware of the missing items.
“I left only after inspection and verification of the items in the warehouse. Nothing was missing during my tenure here,” he said.
It was not until October 8, 2022, that the department became aware of the issue; by that time, Shrestha had already been transferred.
The park’s department formed an investigation committee under the leadership of Investigation Officer Manoj Shah, with representatives from the Ministry of Law, the Nepali Army, and the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) of the police.
The investigation committee recommended the suspension and investigation of storekeepers Subhash Kumar Tharu and Upar Singh Lama. However, the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation opted to transfer them instead.
Despite this, among the storekeepers, Lama has now been reassigned to Shivpuri National Park, while Subas Tharu has been relocated to a position in Bardia.
The investigation committee has asked the park to keep them under surveillance and conduct a thorough investigation.
