Conserving Chitwan | Feature

It's not just Chitwan's one-horned rhinos and Bengal tigers that are in the spotlight these days. The newest stars of the Chitwan National Park conservation scene are of the two-legged variety—young students.

Statistics show the park is in desperate need of support, as the rhino population has dropped from 544 in 2000 to 372 today. The 2005 count found that 94 rhinos were lost to poaching, while 66 died of natural causes.

Now students are forming volunteer groups to save what's left of Chitwan National Park's animals and forests. In Mriga Kunja, the Banya Jantu Chori Sikar Niyantran Yuwa Jagaran Abhiyan is living up to its impressive name with equally impressive results. Members learn anti-poaching techniques from park staff, and informants recently helped arrest 77 poachers and their accomplices.

"We give out forms to veterinary stores so they can record who has bought poisons," explains Birendra Mahato from the campaign to monitor products used to poison rhinos. "We then follow up on the buyers to see if they use it for their pets or for some other purpose." The group has already helped arrest a dozen poachers.

PRERANA MARASINI

The idea of having young people involved in conservation and anti-poaching campaigns is catching on. In New Padampur, 17 young villagers formed their own Youth for Anti-Poaching Campaign and caught a gang of 40 people illegally felling trees the very next day. "We seized three quintals of wood, 11 cycles and four axes from them," said Durga Prashad Acharya proudly. "We now plan to trace animal poachers."

At the army camp in Tikauli, Captain Dhana Bahadur Thapa says intelligence from villagers, including students, is crucial in apprehending poachers. Some 150 poachers have been caught since 2002. Chitwan National Park's Kamal Jung Kunwar thinks informants should be given incentives to come forward. He also says, "If anti-poaching operations are to be strengthened, the army should resume patrolling."

Kunwar says tiger skins and rhino horns are sent to Kathmandu, from where they are smuggled into Tibet. There are massive profits to be made: 100g of rhino horn fetches $1,000 in China, which is why so many are willing to risk capture and punishment. While tiger skins and rhino horns are the most prized, tiger bones, deer skins, and meat from deer and wild boar are also extremely profitable.

Although catching poachers sounds thrilling, Chitwan's youth conservation efforts aren't limited to tracking down baddies. Other students are working on waste management, especially re-using non-biodegradable material. Dhruv KC, president of the eco club of Bhimodaya Higher Secondary School in New Padampur, says the club runs a successful program converting plastic waste into mats. The club also holds seminars and quiz contests, and plants saplings.