Poaching still a major threat to tigers.
- Posted
Arrests of poachers and seizures of tiger parts in the past one year have again put a spotlight on poaching in Nepal. Twelve incidents involving arrests of around two dozen people along with tiger parts at different times from different parts of the country, particularly from the western part where dense forests serve as important tiger habitats, were reported in the past one year, according to the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation (DNPWC).
The latest arrests were made in Pahalwanpur in Kailali district on Wednesday, where police held eight persons, including six Indian nationals of a nomadic community involved in poaching for generations. In Kailali alone, three arrests related to tiger poaching have been made in the past one year.
“This is a worrisome scenario. It shows resurgence of poaching activities,” said Maheswar Dhakal, spokesperson for the DNPWC on Thursday. “This also raises a serious question over the conservation and enforcement measures being carried out for the big cats.” Endangered wildlife including tigers and rhinos had faced severe threats due to increased poaching in the past, before the government and conservation bodies stepped up efforts to protect them. See link below to the report in the Katmandu Post.