Dhorpatan Hunting Reserve

Dhorpatan _Tara
Introduction
National Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act, 1973 Besides national parks and wildlife reserves His Majesty's Government of Nepal has also set aside a hunting reserve at Dhorpatan where controlled hunting of some species is allowed.
Area sq km Established Date Altitude
m Joining Districts/ Himal Range Pasture land Hotels/ Lodge
1,325 1987 (2031 B.S) 2,850-7,000 Rukum, Myagdi and Baglung (dis)
Dhaulagiri Himal range(west),
Putha, Churen and Gurja Himal(North) more than 50% 2
FLORA
Species Flowering Plants Vascular Plants Gymnosperms Dicots Monocots.
1150 (BPP1995) 36 58 7 43 8
The hard wood forest like Fir, Pine, Birch, Rhododendron, Hemlock, Oak, Juniper, and Spruce are found here.
FAUNA
Fauna Mammals Birds Herpeto Species
18 137 2
Protected by CITES 16
Protected by NPWC Act 1973 7 3
Birds IUCN Status
Himalayan Monal (Lophophorus impejanus) Least Concern
Cheer pheasantCatreus Wallichii) Vulnerable
Game Animals like Himalayan Thar, MouseHare, Goral Serow, Himalayan Black Bear, Barking Deer, Wild Boar, Blue Sheep, Langur are found in DHR. Musk Deer, Wolf, Red Panda, Cheer Pheasant are in Endangered Category.
Figure 2 Entrance TO DHR
Nepal is a country of vast repository of priceless biodiversity. In spite of various efforts of Government of Nepal and other partner organizations on conservation in the past few decades still there are manifold challenges. Deforestation, degradation and fragmentation of wildlife habitat and biotic pressure in remaining forests of the country pose threat to effective biodiversity conservation. Actually, the protected areas are the last refuges for the wildlife. Despite the threats, Nepal has done a commendable work by setting 19.70% of the total area
of the country for conservation. In addition, there are initiations to declare the area in and around Dhorpatan Hunting Reserve as buffer zone.
Issue, Problem, Challenge
1. Due to human activities the biological corridor of Protected areas become decline.
2. People are totally depending upon forest products.
3. There is no control of illegal hunting and trade of different valuable parts of animals.
4. There is increasing activities of deforestation for the habitat of growing population.
5. An increasing pressure on forest and pasture resources from livestock and trade in non-timber forest products.
6. Inadequate data for endangered species.
7. Unsustainable use of natural resources.
8. Limited park staff continues to pose problems for conservation of biodiversity.
9. Local communities have benefited from tourism revenues, although a growing number of tourists visit these areas.
10. Rapidly growing population, poverty, political disturbance and illiteracy are the major problems.
11. Lack of Education
12. Poverty elevation
13. Purchase illegal animal or plant products.
14. Disturbance of Flora and Fauna.
Nepal Strategy on Biodiversity Conservation 2002 and updated to 4thReport 2009.
Nepal signed the CBD on June 12, 1992.. The Nepal Biodiversity Strategy (NBS),2002 records the commitment of the government and the people of Nepal as well as to meet the obligations of the Convention, and to serve as an overall framework for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity and biological resources. (MoEST) contributes to implement environment related projects, including Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) for eliminating and mitigating potential threats to biodiversity arising areas compared to 10% in urban areas), and with variables related with ecological zones (mountains, hills and Tarai), and caste and ethnicity (Janjatis and Dalits). In Nepal, Janjatis and Dalits have higherincidence of poverty than the national average (NPC 2005). The Terai Arc Landscape (TAL) Program jointly implemented by DNPWC, the Department of Forests (DoF), and WWF involves governmental and nongovernmental organizations, partner conservation organizations, local people, and a host of other stakeholders. The Program not only aims to provide habitat for the long-term survival of wildlife species in TAL but also to improve the socio-economic conditions of local people through economic conditions of local people through economic opportunities. The TAL program is a long term initiative, its vision extending beyond a 50 year horizon.
Rule and Regulations
1. An entry of NRs 1000 should be paid at the National Parks ticket counter at Nepal Tourism Board ,KTM
2. Camping inside the park should be made only at the designated areas.
3. Travel within the park between sunset and sunrise is prohibited.
4. Visitors should be self sufficient in fuel supply (kerosene). The use of firewood is strictly prohibited.
5. Rubbish must be packed out, buried or disposed of in designated areas.
6. Carry out non biodegradable items such as plastic bags and bottles.
Punishment
(1) Any person who illegally kills or injures, sells, purchases or transfers or obtains or keeps purchases or sells rhinoceros horn or musk-pods or the fur of snow leopard as well as trophies of any other protected wildlife, shall be punished with a fine ranging from fifty to one hundred thousand rupees or an imprisonment ranging from five years to fifteen years or both.
(2) Any person who kills or injures any other protected wildlife other than those mentioned in sub-section shall be punished with a fine ranging from forty to seventy five thousand rupees, or face an imprisonment ranging from 1-10 years or both.
(3) Any person who hunts and kills or injures wildlife other than birds and fish inside a national
park, strict nature reserve or wildlife reserve without obtaining a license shall be punished with a fine ranging from one thousand rupees and ten thousand rupees or face imprisonment ranging from 6months -2 years or both.
(4) Any person who hunts and kills or injures protected birds shall be punished with a fine ranging from five hundred rupees and ten thousand rupees or face imprisonment ranging from
3months and 2years or both.
(5) Any person who hunts and kills or injures birds other than protected birds inside a national park, strict nature reserve or wildlife reserve without obtaining a license shall be punished with
a fine ranging from two hundred rupees and ten thousand rupees, or face imprisonment ranging between 3 months and 2 years or both.
(6) Punishment for accomplices, In case any person who knowingly helps any person in committing any offense punishable under this Act, such accomplice shall be punished with half the punishment to be given to the actual offender.
According to chapter 3 the author mention the strategy involves dividing the landscape into zones that range from total protection to what we can term “biodiversity sacrifice areas “In the term of co-operridor et.al describe the variations of the basic model and focus discussion on Legacy Project in California.
Haufler viewed positive and negative approach in the case of bioreserve strategy. Advantages of this approach are simplicity, applicability at any scale, familiarity of the zoning concept and explicit provision of areas for human uses. Disadvantages include legal difficulties, inflexibility, need for large bases, political obstacles to new land use restrictions and lack of experience with large scale applications of the concept.
Most efforts aimed at conserving biodiversity have been focused on protecting individual population or species many nations such as Australia, India, Canada, South Africa and Brazil mandate protections that are modeled in part after the US. Endangered species Act including creating and maintaining a list of endangered and threatened species on a global scale, the IUCN ‘S Red list of Threatened species also focuses worldwide attention and threats at the species level.
To understand the fluctuations population and conservation we must understand the links between demographic processes: BIDE (Birth, Immigration, Death and Emigration) and the environments in which population exist. Driving population change can be essential for the conservation of many species.
The idea that population dynamics may depend on the relative quality of good and poor habitats which is called source and sink dynamic and now recognized as an important concept in conservation biology. These terms are also used to describe the population found in these habitats source .Population are those found in source habitats and sink population are those found in sink habitats.
According to Groom Traditionally when animal species were perceived to be so endangered or even extinct the approach was to save just what is there sometimes may be just a few individuals as in the case of ex-situ rehabilitation of America corridor .What is the level of a species under threat is decided by IUCN Red list which is protected legally by in country legislation like the National Park and Wildlife Conservation Act 1973 list or CITES for regulation of trade in endangered species.
Beyond this approach is an effort to in-situ protection of wildlife in their natural habitats if possible. In the modern context theses habitats are fragmented and degraded even with legislative protections .So population of animals are dispersed through a network of fragmented patches in the background of human act landscape mostly agriculture or urban development.
Conclusion
The only hunting reserve in the country, Dhorpatan is renowned for the Blue sheep (Pseudois nayaur). It is listed least concern by IUCN red list. The Himalayan Thar (Hemitragus jemlahicus) is an evolutionary primitive form of wild goat, popularly known as Jharal in Nepali .The average groups size of Thar varied from 3 to 16 in different sub habitats holding different numbers of Thar. DHR have 14 types of ecosystem and 10 types of vegetation. It has three types of physio-graphic zone; High Himal ( above 5000m), High Mountain (3000 to 5000 m) ,Mid hills (1000 to 3000 m). This Hunting Reserve is in viii ( Multiple Use Management) category of IUCN.
Recommendation
For the conservation and management of endangered species such asMusk Deer, Wolf, Red Panda, Cheer pheasant there is a need of packaging conservation programmes that are multifaceted and work for all species of wildlife. Conservation should not be limited to PA only It should be operated in a larger scale within human landscapes. Rules and Regulation must be followed to control the illegal trade.