Conservation News
Strict digital surveillance urged to combat rising cyber-wildlife crime
KATHMANDU: Asian conservationists gathered in Kathmandu have pointed out the urgent need to expand cross-border cooperation, digital surveillance, and technology investment to control wildlife crime.
Expressing concern over the rapid proliferation of wildlife crime through digital platforms and social media—which has added serious risks to biodiversity conservation—they stressed that monitoring must be intensified.
Conservationists participating in the First General Assembly of the South Asian Wildlife Enforcement Network (SAWEN), held under the leadership of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Environment, stated that efforts must focus on controlling digital-based wildlife crime, which has grown into a global challenge. https://english.nepalnews.com/s/crime-news/strict-digital-surveillance-urged-to-combat-rising-cyber-wildlife-crime/
Nepal Himalayan Habitats, Climatic Zones and Ecological Vulnerabilities
"Since 1979, Wildlands Studies has provided international environmental field courses for undergraduate students focused on ecology, botany, wildlife research practices, field survey methods, and the relationship of cultures and their surrounding environment. We bring students into direct contact with diverse ecosystems and local communities to address today’s pressing environmental issues. With the outdoors and environment as our classroom, our immersive, field-based programs run every academic term—summer, fall, winter, and spring—in key locations across the globe, offering a hands-on education that’s rooted in ecological understanding and personal engagement. Each program is designed to blend rigorous academics with real-world application, allowing students to earn university credit while learning about important conservation concerns and gaining first hand field experience in global environments.Animal rights activists in Nepal gathered Tuesday in front of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) office to protest against the recent deaths of three tigers confined in a cage at the Parsa National Park. The protest at the WWF office in Baluwatar aimed to raise awareness about the plight of captive animals and call for stronger measures to ensure their well-being and protection.
The tigers in captivity were meant for display to visitors at Parsa National Park without proper ventilation and enough space."
Conservation Asia Congress Nepal 2026 (June 1-6, 2026) - Society for Conservation Biology
"CAC Nepal 2026 explores the intersections of science, policy, and practice to advance conservation across Asia. The congress program features symposia, contributed oral sessions, poster sessions, and plenary talks centred on our theme, fostering innovative approaches and collaborative solutions to pressing conservation challenges. It also hosts a variety of pre- and post-congress workshops and field trips.....CACNepal 2026 unites conservation scientists, practitioners, and decision-makers from across Asia to exchange ideas, present new research, and shape collaborative solutions for biodiversity and human well-being."
From conflict to coexistence: Nepal prepares to pilot wildlife-risk insurance
"For communities across Nepal, living alongside wildlife carries significant financial and personal risks. Between 2020 and 2025, more than 64,000 human–wildlife conflict incidents were reported—an average of more than 10,700 a year. During this period, 252 people lost their lives and 963 were injured.
A 2025 field survey conducted by UNDP BIOFIN in selected pilot areas also found that 82.5 percent of surveyed households had experienced wildlife-related crop losses. A further 8.8 percent reported livestock losses and 5.5 percent reported damage to property.
Behind these figures are families whose livelihoods depend on crops, livestock and assets accumulated over many years. Nepal is now preparing to pilot a new approach to help communities manage these risks: insurance for wildlife-related losses.....The new insurance product is intended to provide households with financial protection against several forms of wildlife-related loss. It covers crop damage, livestock mortality, human death, injury and disability, as well as damage to houses and other physical structures caused by 18 listed wildlife species.
For an annual premium of NPR 1,500 plus VAT, a policyholder can receive coverage of up to NPR 2.65 million, depending on the type of loss. The policy provides year-round protection and permits multiple claims during the policy period, subject to the relevant limits and conditions."
Animal rights activists protest in Nepal following tiger deaths
Animal rights activists in Nepal gathered Tuesday in front of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) office to protest against the recent deaths of three tigers confined in a cage at the Parsa National Park. The protest at the WWF office in Baluwatar aimed to raise awareness about the plight of captive animals and call for stronger measures to ensure their well-being and protection.
The tigers in captivity were meant for display to visitors at Parsa National Park without proper ventilation and enough space.
Conservation success leaves Nepal at a loss for dealing with problem tigers
Nepal’s success in tiger conservation has come at the cost of rising human-tiger conflict, prompting the government to capture “problem tigers” deemed to pose a threat to human life.
But the government has no definitive plans for these tigers, of which there are 18 currently in captivity, costing the environment ministry nearly $100,000 a year just to feed.
Various stakeholders have proposed a range of solutions, from sport hunting that would also generate revenue, to establishing rescue centers, to gifting the tigers to foreign zoos, to even simply culling them.
The country’s environment minister, criticized for the sport hunting proposal, has spoken out against the prioritization of conservation at the expense of local communities’ increasingly urgent safety concerns.
Saving Nepal’s Tigers and Livelihoods
This March 12, 2024 Facebook live event featured speakers from the government of Nepal, Nepali communities, and development partners such as the World Bank and WWF in supporting the conservation of tigers and in fostering sustainable development, economic growth, resilience, and livelihoods in Nepal.
Bardia’s Community Conservation Heroes
Story by Steve Frankham
Photos by Ram Raj Dhakal and Steve Frankham (March 17, 2024)
Bardiya Nationl Park "is Nepal’s most pristine national park in the Terai region, covering 968km², plus an extensive ‘buffer zone’. It is a wildlife success story, with the number of tigers in the park tripling in the last decade, and healthy populations of leopards, sloth bears, Indian rhinos, and wild elephants.