Latest News of Kanchenjunga trekking Nepal

For the Resarch of the kanchenjunga trekking , then there are our expert who are working in the Tribhuvan university and pokhara university of Nepal. 

Calls for conservation of Kanchenjunga area


Oct 19, 2014-The Kanchenjunga trans-boundary landscape is under threat for want of conservation, according to a study carried out by the Research Centre for Applied Science and Technology of the Tribhuvan University (TU).

The area, which is accommodated in the Kangchenjunga Landscape Conservation and Development Initiative of the International Center for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), a regional learning centre for the eight Hindu Kush Himalayan countries — Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Nepal, Myanmar and Pakistan—covers an area of about 25,151 square kilometres  and stretches along eastern Nepal, Sikkim and northern parts of West Bengal in India and western Bhutan. Kanchenjunga trans-boundary landscape covers an area of about 5,190 square kilometres in Taplejung, Panchthar, Ilam and Jhapa in Nepal alone.

Concerned stakeholders said that deforestation and wildlife trafficking is going unabated in the area and that there is an immediate need to carry out concerted conservation efforts in the Kanchenjunga landscape.

“Apart from playing a significant role in the ecosystem, the Kanchenjunga landscape has international importance as it is home to rare and endangered wildlife such as snow leopards, red pandas and bears including various plant species. So, concrete steps should be taken by the government for the conservation of the area,” said Ram Prasad Chaudhary, leader of the TU research team.

The study said some of the challenges that lies ahead to carry out conservation efforts in the area are: (a) preventing massive biodiversity losses, (b) strengthening community livelihoods, (c) market promotion for local products, (d) sustainable forest management, (e) minimisation of conflict between human and wildlife and (f) reduction of pollution.

“A strategy has been devised to carry out conservation efforts in the Kanchenjunga landscape and ensure productive development of the area by resolving the challenges and problems it faces,” Yadav Upreti, who was also a part of the research team, said, adding that any governmental or non-governmental organisation can work under the Forest Ministry as per the aforementioned strategy.

Local stakeholders have suggested that the TU research team come up with strategies to mitigate environmental impacts caused by construction of big hydro power projects in the area, control haphazard grazing of animals, and conservation of water sources and wildlife and plant species indigenous to the area.

They also called for the need to come up with income generating activities for the local community by promoting “agriculture tourism” and processing local food. According to the study, the landscape is home to some 100 species of mammals, 350 types of birds, 44 different fish species and 98 types of amphibians and reptiles. Likewise, the area occupies both Kanchenjunga Conservation Area and Maipokhari Wetland Area.





WWF to terminate project after 18 yrs






Sep 9, 2015- WWF Nepal has decided to terminate Kanchenjunga Conservation Area Project (KCAP) in Taplejung district by the end of this month, after 18 years of engagement in the region.
While authorities at WWF say that the decision to close down the project office from September is a planned activity and was already discussed with the locals and government bodies, the Kanchenjunga Conservation Area Management Council state that the former had decided to stay until 2017.
“We have closed down the project office but the support will continue both financially and technically. Now, the funds will be mobilised
directly to the management council represented by the local communities than through the project managed by us,” said Shiv Raj Bhatt, director of field programmes at WWF Nepal.
He, however, maintained that WWF is still working to come up with a final decision to decide the nature of future collaboration and organisation’s presence with Kanchenjunga community after ending the project in September.
Initiated as Kanchenjunga Conservation Area in 1998 by the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation (DNPWC), in technical and financial support of WWF, the conservation area was handed over to the Kanchenjunga Conservation Area Management Council in 2006. The handover of the management to the local community was considered a landmark initiative and first of its kind in the country. The conservation area is spread over 1,650 square kilometres and consists of 1257 households.
“As a supporting partner to the government, we cannot stay in the same place for long and increase dependency of the community on us. We should have left soon after the handover to the local communities in 2006,” said Santosh Mani Nepal, director of policy and support at WWF.
“There are lots of other needy areas that need our immediate attention of work other than Kanchenjunga,” he added.
However, sources at the council say that poor coordination and mistrust led to the termination of the project.
“The local communities were not satisfied with the way the WWF was working with the project and had raised their concerns regarding inadequate investment for the community itself compared to the administrative cost required to run the project. However, WWF did not heed to their concerns,” said a member of the council in condition of anonymity.


Kanchenjunga odessay



Apr 5, 2013-A four-day walk from Taplejung, and we were in Tseram, 3879 metres above sea level, on May 8, 2012. Moving further up, however, would be difficult; the weather was absolutely unforgiving at this point. The grim conditions forced us to spend three nights at Rinzen Sherpa’s lodge in Tsearam and another one in Ramche (4491 m). Although we made short day trips to Deurali Khangla (4397 m)—the ridge that lines the natural border between Nepal and India, and Oktang (4777 m), which comprises the view point of Kanchanjunga—we were not able to go through the passes all the way to Ghunsa (3432 m). And even during these short escapades, we would be severely beaten down by rain, snow and hailstones. Exhausted and a little frustrated at being stuck in Tseram, we waited desperately for a chance to move on.

Kanchenjunga (8586 m) is the world’s third highest mountain and probably one of the wildest stretches in the Great Himalaya Trail. This region gets more rainfall than any other part of Nepal and the landscape around Kanchenjunga is marked with distinct slope failures and landslides, indicating its physical vulnerability and fragile topography. This region is also host to the Kanchenjunga Conservation Area Project (KCAP).

As a trekker, I found Kanchenjunga the most challenging of sections on the Great Himalaya Trail. The topography, combined with the fact that I was leading a three-person team of amateurs, made the trek especially difficult. My friend, Udayan Mishra, and our porter, Deepak Sherpa, both of whom had never been above 4200 metres, were accompanying me, putting all their faith on me to pull us through, a faith that didn’t waver even when I took them to high passes above 4500 metres with the trail hidden somewhere in knee-deep snow.

On May 12, we decided it was time to leave the comfort of Rinzen’s hospitality and Tseram to march our way to Ghunsa, despite doubts about the weather and uncertainties to do with the trail.  We all knew it was going to be a tough day but we were prepared. We packed our lunch of Tibetan bread, boiled potatoes and six packets of instant noodles, and left promptly at 7:30 am. It was a steep climb of three-and-a-half hours to Sinelapcha pass (4701 m). The clear blue sky and the sight of Kanchenjunga and other surrounding peaks in the morning gave us some confidence. However, as we reached the pass, clouds began to emerge from the south, moving silently to fill up the valleys and rising up to cover the peaks. On the pass, upon consulting my GPS device, the reading showed that we were 100 metres higher than we were meant to be on the map. It is common to have the readings fluctuate by 10 to 20 metres, but a 100 was rare. I was nervous; I didn’t want to lead my team astray, not at this altitude. But there was nothing I could do and so we continued on, hoping it was the right pass. With each step forward, the trail marks began to dissolve under the snow and vanish into oblivion. All we could see around us were snow-covered cliffs and steep slopes.

As we proceeded, the snow cover was becoming thicker, and walking becoming more daunting than ever. Every step we took either sank deep in snow or slipped on ice. We fell innumerable times. Even a distance of 10 metres began to feel a hundred times longer. Our boots were waterproof but we hadn’t brought our gaiters. Those shoes could only stand so much snow and rain, and soon our feet were drenched and cold, making the walk even more of a torment. Every hundred metres or so, we had to stop to find an exposed boulder to take off our shoes, get the snow out and dry our socks. We dwelled on how we might have made a mistake in leaving in such haste without being certain about the weather, but even Rinzen had confidently said that there wouldn’t be much snow in these passes at this time of year. Clearly that was not the case. Getting to Ghunsa had now become not just a difficult journey, but a matter of life and death.

Everywhere we looked, there were expanses of white. But instead of calming us down, it brought out the fear in us. It was only the glimpses of the blue sky peering out through the cracks in the clouds that gave us some glimmer of hope and encouragement to continue, and so we did, taking turns to clear the snow and open the trail, finally making it to the second pass by 12:30 pm. Once there, we saw fresh paw-prints on the snow that resembled those of a big cat. The marks circled around the pass and went further down north-west. The people I talked to in Tseram and Yamphudin had mentioned that you could find snow leopards in these parts, and while it was an exciting prospect, there was also a sense of the potential danger, even though the beast itself—an endangered species—was nowhere in sight. I couldn’t tell if I was relieved or disappointed.

From the pass, the snow got trickier than ever to navigate through. The trail had all but disappeared and what we could see could have been leading in any direction. We had walked non-stop for five hours in this weather, and were exhausted, and the suspected leopard prints were our only lead. So, as it began to snow some more, we followed the beast’s path, for almost an hour, and then the footprints began to move uphill towards a vertical cliff. At that point, we diverted. Thankfully, we soon came across two Sherpas and an American coming towards us at around 1:30 pm. They were the first people we had met all day, and we were relieved—it meant that we were on the right trail, after all, and that the path ahead of us was open. And I am sure they were just as grateful to see us as we had opened the way to Tseram.

What did concern us, however, was the fact that they had started their trek from Sellele (4229) and had only gotten to this point so far. We intended to reach Ghunsa, which was three hours further down from Sellele, and had only six hours of daylight to get there or else we would be stranded in the forests. We made a quick stop for lunch when the snow receded a little, gobbling it down in 15 minutes, the quickest we’d eaten so far, and headed towards Mirgin La pass (4643 m). It began to snow ferociously now, mixed with hailstones,

and there was hardly any visibility. Udayan was walking behind me, and at some point shouted out that we should take a break as his socks were soaked thoroughly and his feet were frozen. His voice was so muffled by the hailstones, I could not make out what he was saying and didn’t stop. When you are trekking in conditions where your sight and hearing are both compromised, you sometimes have to function like an island.

We reached Mirgin La pass at 2:40 pm amidst a series of hailstones and snowfall. From here, it was a slippery downhill walk to Sellele, which had two houses, both unoccupied. Udayan slipped on a boulder and took a nasty fall. Fortunately, he only sustained some minor bruises on his arms. We crossed Sele La pass (4204 m) at 4:35 pm and by then, I had suffered my own share of falls and bruises.

It was almost 6 pm when we crossed the fifth and the last pass—Tamo La (3983 m)—following which the trail went through a very dense forest of rhododendron and juniper trees. Ghunsa was still not in sight, although we could see another village, Phale (3268 m), on the other side of Ghunsa River. The sky was almost on the verge of getting dark when we finally crossed over, passed Phale, and reached Ghunsa, to unimaginable relief.

This had been the 80th day of my trek, part of a 98-day journey that I’d taken across the east-west of Nepal in 2012. In these 80 days, I’d had the opportunity to meet many people, and cross many mountains and hills—all experiences that were enriching. The trek from Tseram to Gunsa was only one among the many stories I collected along the way. What the journey spelled out for me, most starkly, was the difficulty of life in the mountains, something that cannot be imagined by those living in cities. I was fortunate in that I was seeing these places and passing through them as part of an adventure, but for the locals here, whose lives were bound in these cliffs and rocks, it was very different. I am deeply grateful at times like these for being a Nepali, born into a country where you are surrounded by pure majesty, and yet there is also sadness, for the same majesty is often unmanageable, and those living here suffer such extreme hardship and poverty.



Memory of Kanchenjunga


Oct 7, 2014-On September 26, 2006, the radio announced that the management of the Kanchenjunga Conservation Area in Eastern Nepal had been handed over by the government to the Kanchenjunga Area Conservation Council. I was ecstatic. Then Forest Minister Gopal Rai transferred the responsibility to the Council in Taplejung, making Kanchenjunga the first conservation area to be handed over to locals for management, a major aim of sustainable conservation.

Unimaginable loss

On September 27, 2006, the sky was dark with clouds. The radio made another announcement, but this time, it was a tragedy of unimaginable proportions. Less than 24 hours after the hand-over ceremony, a helicopter carrying 24 people, including Forest Minister Rai, government officials, geographers, naturalists, foresters, journalists, diplomats, and council members had gone missing. A rescue team had been deployed, but unfortunately, there was no one left alive. The helicopter had crashed at Ghunsa, Taplejung with no survivors.

Eight years ago, Nepal lost so many of its conservation heroes, including Minister Rai; Harka Gurung, veteran geographer and former tourism minister; Chandra Gurung, founder and director of Annapurna Conservation Area Project; Tirtha Man Maskey, former director general of the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation (DNPWC) and a pioneer of sustainable, participatory wildlife conversation; Mingma Sherpa, who helped establish the Sagarmatha National Park; Damodar Parajuly, Acting Secretary of the Ministry of Forests and Soil Conservation; Narayan Poudel, Director General of the DNPWC; and Sarad Kumar Rai, Director General of the Department of Forests. Along with these luminaries, international conservationists, diplomats, and the flight crew also perished.

In one single blow, Nepal lost dedicated people who had made great contributions to the field of nature conservation, not only in the country but across the globe. These were people who tried to understand people and nature and find a way to bring the two together. These conservation heroes looked at matters from others’ points of view believed in providing great national priority to nature conservation. For them, nature conservation was the only way to establish a sustainable society. They were committed and devoted to issues of public concern. Their mission was to secure people’s rights and uplift people’s livelihoods through nature conservation. Because of their contributions, Nepal’s conservation movement integrated ecologists, economists, and sociologists and is now working to establish a sustainable society.

Different approaches

The people we lost in Ghunsa imparted to Nepal a different paradigm for considering conservation as beyond just protection and preservation. Their version of conservation allowed for the proper use of natural resources for the benefit of nature and people. Moreover, it was a technique that took necessary scientific management initiatives for proper utilisation for the retention and promotion of soil, water, forests, plants, wildlife, biodiversity and other natural resources. Furthermore, the word conservation came to include proper planning and management, sustainable use of resources to maintain the ecosystem, along with protection, preservation, rehabilitation, and promotion while maintaining the integrity of resources.

The shift in paradigm from protection to conservation did not happen overnight. It required committed people to be involved in the preparation of policy documents and translation of policies into actions by creating a conducive working environment at the field level. The World Conservation Strategy 1980 was extremely influential in the preparation of Nepal’s National Conservation Strategy 1988. After the Rio Summit in 1992, Nepal prepared its National Biodiversity Strategy 2002, which aimed to conserve nature with wise use and equitable distribution of benefits in the long run. Recently, the government approved the new National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan.

The conservationists we lost in Ghunsa were influential in the development and implementation of these above-mentioned policies and programmes. They were not limited to the forestry sector; they worked for the national interest. Therefore, it would be fitting to call them national heroes.

Continuing examples

In 2009, the Government of Nepal declared September 27 as National Conservation Day in memory of our conservation heroes. The government has also been providing life time conservation awards to people who have dedicated their lives to nature conservation. Furthermore, the government made a decision to provide a cash award of Rs 150,000 for the National Conservation Award. This year, Rautahat-based conservationist Baban Prasad Kayastha received the National Conservation Award.

Our conservation heroes were known for their affable, soft-spoken manner. Their untimely demise left a gaping void in the country’s conversation scene. No one can claim to be perfect in this world but there are few people who work hard and are able to come close. Our conservation heroes were surely among those people. We have to learn from them and follow their path to conserve nature for the next generation. There is room for improvement even among the best of us. Our conservation heroes always listened more and encouraged others to talk. They had dynamic visions and carried out excellent works, which inspired us to join in their conservation journey.

Paudyal is affiliated with the Nepal Foresters Association




Three climbers killed in Kanchanjunga avalance





May 22, 2014-Three mountaineers, two Nepali Sherpas and an Indian, died in an avalanche during their expedition on Mount Kanchenjunga, the third highest peak of the world, on Wednesday.

Deputy Superintendent of Police Megha Raj Kandel said that Temba Sherpa, 24, and Dawa Wanchu Sherpa, 28, of Tamku-5 in Sankhuwasabha district and Indian national Chanda Gayan, 35, were killed in the incident. Two other members of the expedition, Na Tashi Sherpa and Phurtemba Sherpa of Sankhuwasabha, survived the tragedy.

The avalanche struck at an altitude of 7,300 metres in a place named Yangla while the mountaineers were returning to the fourth camp, said police. The team was on their way to the fifth camp but compelled to return to the fourth owing to the adverse climate. The expedition team was from Seven Summits Treks, Kathmandu.

Five mountaineers, including three foreigners, were killed in similar avalanche on May 20 last year.





From Mountain to Mountain


Jan 5, 2016- Phura Geljen Sherpa is a mountain climber who grew up near Everest. Having been influenced by the hundreds of mountaineers who travelled through his village, his interest in mountaineering developed early. After toiling in the snowy trails for over two-and-a-half decades, today he is an expert mountain guide and a professional high altitude mountain rescuer—with countless successful climbing expeditions and rescue missions to his credit. In an interview with the Post’s Gaurav Pote, Sherpa shares bits of his early life, career as a mountain guide, climber and rescuer, and skiing—his new found hobby. Excerpts:

Tell us a little about yourself growing up.
I was born in Panggom village in Solukhumbu district where I spent most of my childhood. As a kid, my father took me trekking with my uncles and brothers to support the local Sherpa climbers. Once I was done with school, I came to Kathmandu and got into trekking as a support staff. This provided me with the opportunity to get upclose with trekking and mountaineering which helped me understand the trade better and push further. Life has been a great adventure so far.
What keeps you busy at the moment?
I am currently preparing for my ski training. I am also involved with Nepal National Mountain Guide Association and Nepal Mountaineering Instructor Association.
Can you tell us more about your mountaineering career?
It was in 2000 that I formally entered the trekking and mountaineering profession. I gradually honed my skills through various courses: starting from basic mountaineering training and moving on to the more advanced ones. Simultaneously, I also progressed to higher altitude climbing. I began with 6,000m peaks and eventually found my way into a few 8,000m expeditions. I would tag along with the expeditions that mountaineering companies organised every season. After several successful attempts on other peaks, I dared to take on Everest. I’m proud to have scaled it five times now, along with three other 8,000m peaks: Sishapangma, Cho Oyu and Kanchanjanga.
What inspired you to get into mountain climbing?
Well, my village lies in the middle of one of the most renowned trekking routes in the world. When I was small, I used to see a lot of tourists trek through my village. You could say I was inspired by those adventurous Western climbers who left their homes behind to travel and climb the mountains that I grew up with.
My father and brothers are trekkers too. While growing up, mountaineering was more of a financial obligation for us, as we had to somehow make our living in the harsh Himalayan terrain. It brought home more money than farming and labouring. Later, it became a common profession.
Give us a rundown of all the peaks you have scaled so far.
Chronologically speaking, I first scaled Ama Dablam in 2000 followed by Island Mera peak in 2001 and Mera peak in 2002. In the spring a year later, I climbed Kanchenjunga. In 2004, I scaled Shishapangma after which I went back to climb Kanchenjunga in 2005. The following year, I climbed Cho Oyu for the first time. Finally, in 2007, I summited Mount Everest. I went back again for another successful expedition in 2008. After that, I went on to climb Ama Dablam again in 2009, Everest again in 2010 and 2011, and Ama Dablam again in 2011. During 2012 and 2013, I chanced upon the opportunity to climb Everest yet again, twice.
When did you start working as a mountain rescuer? What sort of mindset do you bring to the work in such an unforgiving terrain?
I stared working as a mountain rescuer in 2011. Whether it’s me or any other rescuer, our mindset always has to be strong, intuitive and persevering before we head out in an expedition or a rescue mission. Emotionally, we need to be able to put the need of others before everything else. Disasters can befall on anyone in the mountains and we need to be strong and prepared for any emergency.
How difficult is it for someone from the local Sherpa community in Nepal to be a certified climber and a mountain rescuer?
These days it is not as easy as it used to be back when I started. There is a lot of paperwork and certifications that are involved to become a certified guide and climber, along with a lot of training and experience. You need to be physically and mentally strong. Financially, too, aspiring climbers and guides need to be sound. As for a mountain rescuer, you need a good heart to help others along with an in-depth knowledge of the place, survival instincts and hard training.
Can you tell us more about your interest in skiing?
I started my ski training last year. It was a Level 1 course in KulluManali, which was facilitated by Mountain Academy of Nepal. The government of Nepal sponsored expenses for the training. I’ll be leaving for a Level 2 course to be held in Switzerland and France.
Do you think there is any scope for skiing in Nepal?
Yes, of course. There are numerous places in Nepal with endless potential for skiing. All we need is a little push from different organisations and government agencies for development and promotion of those destinations, both nationally and internationally. Among many feasible places, I think Mera peak and Puta Himchiuli would be great for skiing. We are slowly getting there but the pace has to be hastened.
11. Do you have any unforgettable memories from your climbing or rescue expeditions?
There was a rescue attempt that I conducted in 2011. There was a snow blind and frostbitten climber who had to be transported from Lhotse Camp 4 to Camp 2. What’s most incredible about this incident is that he survived, even after enduring so much pain in the snow.
Where do you see yourself in a few years?
In the future, I hope I get to share my knowledge and experience in mountaineering and contributein promotingthe Nepali mountaineering profession. Nepal still lacks adequate professional mountain guides and every bit that we mountaineers do will help produce qualified expert guides who will do better work than us. Personally, though, I hope I’ll be a professional skier soon.







The last Shangrila



Jun 26, 2015-The discovery of the Pallas’s cat in Sikkim in 2008 led to a flurry of hope among Nepal’s conservation groups and individuals. After all, animals do not follow the geographical delineations set by humans, and if the cat was found in India’s northeastern mountainous region bordering Nepal, it was highly probable that one could find it in the Kanchenjunga region as well.

So all hopes were hinged on that region when, suddenly, Tashi  R Ghale, a businessman and hobbyist photographer, came across some snapshots of what looked like a fuzzy, overgrown tomcat in his native Manang in 2012; the photos were taken by one of his camera traps that had been set up to monitor snow leopards. Surely, if the snaps proved to be that of the elusive Pallas’s cat, they would make the cat the first new mammal to be discovered in Nepal in many years. But back then, Ghale did not think much about the images.

As if by a stroke of luck, Ghale captured the cat on his camera again. This time around, on December 26, 2013. One of his camera traps, also known as an automatic infrared sensor camera, because it uses infrared sensors to identify and capture images of moving objects, had in it images of what looked like the feline he had captured a year back. Unable to recognise the species, he uploaded the images on Facebook. “I didn’t know what species it was the first time I saw the images. So I decided to share it with experts,” says Ghale.

Ganga Ram Regmi, an ecologist who has also studied snow leopards, recognised the images as that of the Pallas’s cat, popularly known as manul. These cats are classified as ‘near-threatened’ in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species because they are hunted for their coat of rich, grizzly fur and their habitat is shrinking, primarily due to human interference. Now that they have been discovered in Nepal, the onus for protecting this vanishing species and preserving its habitat lies with Nepalis.

The Pallas’s cat borrows its name from the German naturalist Peter Simon Pallas, who was the first person to describe the feline found in the grasslands and mountains of Central Asia, in 1776. It is a living fossil that, along with the extinct Martelli’s cat, is considered to be among the first two modern cats to have evolved from the Pseudaelurus, a species of prehistoric cats—long, slender and short-legged, that roamed modern-day Europe, Asia and North America in the Miocene period around 20 million years ago. Between 46 to 65 centimetres long, these animals weigh between 2.5 to 4.5 kg and have a 21-31 cm-long tail. The cats are covered in dense, ochre fur and have dark vertical bars on the torso and forelegs, black rings on the tail and dark spots on the forehead. But their most distinctive feature is their white cheeks, with narrow black stripes running from the corners of the eyes.

Presently, these cats are mostly distributed across the Central Asian steppes and are found in countries like Mongolia, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Pakistan and in Western China. Shy, solitary and mysterious in nature, they hunt during the twilight hours, feeding on mountain voles, birds and pikas—small, tailless mammals found in the mountains. Although experts had said that the Pallas’s cat must have once dwelled in the Himalayan belt, they had already considered the fuzzy creature extinct in these parts. Until it was photographed in Pakistan and Bhutan. But what makes its sighting in Nepal even more significant is that it was photographed in regions at altitudes of around 5,000 metres, the highest ever for the animal. And experts say that the rugged and inaccessible niches of the Himalayan region might prove to be a better habitat for the cat as opposed to the flat steppes. “It’s easy to hunt these cats in the steppes, where there is nothing but a flat expanse of land for miles around you. There is, in fact, a whole tradition built around hunting them for their furs in those places. But things are different here. The arid mountainous region, with its sparse vegetation, provides not just the perfect camouflage for the cat, its remoteness and rocky landscape mean the creature can be left undisturbed if we deter human encroachment in the region, “says   Rinzin Phunjok Lama, a conservation expert.

The cat’s discovery in the Upper Manang region provided an opportunity for Ghale, Regmi and their friends from  the Global Pallas’s Cat Working Group—including Rinzin Phunjok Lama (member and project coordinator), Madan K Suwal (GIS specialist) and Paras Bikam Singh—to come together to better understand this elusive animal. With cash and in-kind help from the Mohamed Bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund, Rufford Foundation-UK and The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, and  in coordination with the National Trust for Nature Conservation (NTNC/ACAP), they started their pilot study on the animal in December 2014.

Their pilot study, which ended on June 6, focused on understanding the ecological niche, food habits, survival threats and conservation priorities for this species in Nepal’s Himalayas, along with the socio-economic analysis of the people living in its habitat.

“Since the cat shares its habitat with other carnivores like the snow leopard, red fox and feral dogs, it is interesting to understand how multiple carnivores compete and co-exist in such an arid climate,” says Regmi. But while they have not been able to single out any single apex predator as a threat to the cat, they have come to the conclusion that its habitat is being threatened by human interference.

“While analysing the camera trap images, we came across numerous images of yaks and cattle grazing in and around the cat’s habitat. But because very few people have encountered the cat, we have come to the conclusion that habitat degradation, and not hunting as some like to assume, is currently the major threat to the species’ existence in that region,” says Lama.

There are other threats as well. Increasing temperatures in the mountains, prompted by climate change, have also made things difficult for this feline.

“Pikas, which form the major source of the cat’s diet, are diminishing in number, primarily because of the changing climate,” says Lama.

“That the cat has been found in Nepal is exciting news. But now the efforts should go towards protecting them. It is important that we do more research on the cat and spread awareness to halt its decline. Along with stopping human encroachment in the region, we also need to protect the food chain,” says Ghale.






PHIDIM: Conservationists have successfully collared a snow leopard with a satellite-GPS device at the foot of Kanchanjunga, the world’s third tallest mountain.
Conservationists had trapped the snow leopard at Yangma of Olangchunggola VDC in Kanchenjunga Conservation Area and collared it with the satellite device two weeks ago.
Issuing a press statement today, World Wildlife Fund said that officials and technicians from World Wildlife Fund (WWF), Nature Conservation Fund, Kanchenjunga’s Area Development Council, and Snow Leopard Conservation Committee had succeeded in collaring the snow leopard.
Earlier, a snow leopard was collared with a satellite tracking device at Taplejung’s Khambachen area for the first time in 2013.
As many as four teams were deployed in the Kanchanjunga Conservation Area to collar the leopard.
Anil Shrestha, senior research officer at WWF, said the mobilised teams had set 28 traps in the areas identified as habitat of the snow leopard.
The snow leopard, a 41 kg adult male, approximately five years of age, was captured at Yangma, collared with a GPS-device, and released into the forest on May 21, 2015. Shrestha informed that after incessant efforts lasting 25 days, it took as many as 28 people to trap the snow leopard and install the device on its throat.
He added that the data received from the device would enable conservationists to identify the beast’s behaviour, nature and lifestyle.






Bhutan, India, and Nepal agree to enhance cooperation in the Kangchenjunga Landscape





The unique, culturally and biologically rich landscape around Mount Kangchenjunga covers parts of western Bhutan, northeastern India, and eastern Nepal and is one of several Himalayan areas where countries need to work together to conserve and manage biodiversity. In a meeting held at Gangtok in Sikkim State of India from 16 to 18 August 2012, senior officials and experts from Bhutan, India, and Nepal developed a road map for carrying out collaborative work in this area.

The Kangchenjunga landscape includes 15 protected areas. The countries agreed to work towards connecting these areas through ‘biodiversity corridors’ for species migration to assist adaptation to climate change; and to address problems that cross borders such as poaching, overgrazing, forest fire, and spread of livestock disease.

The consultation was organized by the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) and hosted by the GB Pant Institute of Himalayan Environment and Development (GBPIHED) in India, with support from the Forest Departments of Sikkim and West Bengal. It was attended by more than 40 representatives of governments and non-governmental organizations (NGOs).



“The challenges of biodiversity conservation and management in the landscape can only be addressed if all three countries cooperate at various levels from local to bilateral to regional”, said Mr Bhim Prasad Dhungel, Minister of Tourism, Forests, Environment, and Wildlife Management of the Government of Sikkim, India. To this end, a similar collaborative initiative undertaken by ICIMOD in the Kailash Sacred Landscape could provide a model. “The work around Kailash already provides substantial scientific information to lead the process”, said Dr BMS Rathore, Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India.

The joint biodiversity conservation effort will focus on the people living in the landscape. “People in the mountains have to be compensated for their conservation efforts", emphasized Dasho Sherub Gyaltshen, Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture and Forests, Royal Government of Bhutan. Mr Krishna Acharya, Director General of the Department of National Park and Wildlife Conservation of the Government of Nepal, pointed out that the landscape programme must also jointly address wildlife-people conflict.

The participatory and consultative process of preparing the transboundary initiative during the next 18 months will be led by ICIMOD. The preparations will include a feasibility assessment report, a conservation strategy, and a comprehensive environmental plan, resulting in a framework for transboundary cooperation. “We are very satisfied with the progress made at this consultation”, said Dr Eklabya Sharma, Director of Programme Operations at ICIMOD. “All three countries have given their full commitment for the preparatory phase of the Kangchenjunga landscape initiative”.