Nepalese farmer from snow leopard killer to protector

This video is about snow leopard cubs in Magdeburg zoo in Germany.

From Agence France-Presse:

‘Yak insurance’ plan saving Nepal’s endangered snow leopard

Wednesday, December 26, 2012 7:15 EST

The remorse felt by Himali Chungda Sherpa after he killed three snow leopard cubs in retaliation for his lost cattle inspired him to set up a scheme to prevent other herders from doing the same.

Sherpa lost his cattle near Ghunsa village at the base of Mount Kangchenjunga on the Nepal-India border, later finding their remains in a cave beside three sleeping snow leopard cubs.

The Nepalese herder put the cubs in a sack and threw them into the river, finding their bodies the next day.

“From that night onwards the mother snow leopard started crying from the mountain for her cubs, and my cattle were crying for the loss of their calves.

“I realised how big a sin I had committed and promised myself that I would never do such a thing in the future.”

Four years ago Sherpa, 48, founded with other locals an insurance plan for livestock that conservationists say is deterring herders from killing snow leopards that attack their animals.

In doing so the scheme has given hope for the endangered cat, whose numbers across the mountains of 12 countries in south and central Asia are thought to have declined by 20 percent over the past 16 years.

Under the scheme, herders pay in 55 rupees ($1.50) a year for each of their hairy yaks, the vital pack animal that is also kept for milk and meat, and are paid 2,500 rupees for any animal killed by the endangered cat.

“The (Himalayan) communities have been able to pay out compensation for more than 200 animals since the scheme started,” WWF Nepal conservation director Ghana Gurung told reporters at a presentation in the capital Kathmandu.

“The community members are the ones that monitor this, they are the ones who do the patrolling and they are the ones who verify the kills.”

The global snow leopard population is estimated at just 4,080-6,590 adults according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, which lists the animal as “endangered” on its red list of threatened species.

Experts believe just 300 to 500 adults survive in Nepal, and few can claim ever to have seen the secretive, solitary “mountain ghost”, which lives 5,000 to 6,000 metres (16,500 to 20,000 feet) above sea level.

Despite its name, it is not a close relative of the leopard and has much more in common genetically with the tiger, though it is thought to have a placid temperament.

“There has never been a case of a snow leopard attacking a human,” Gurung said of the animal, revered for its thick grey patterned pelt.

It does, however, have a taste for sheep, goats and other livestock essential for the livelihoods of farmers and is often killed by humans either as a preventative measure or in revenge for the deaths of their animals.

WWF Nepal revealed details of its insurance scheme in filmed interviews shown at the recent Kathmandu International Mountain Film Festival.

Sherpa now campaigns to convince Himalayan farmers that killing snow leopards is wrong, but has been frequently told they need to kill the animal to protect their livelihoods.

“I swear if I can catch a snow leopard. They rob our animals and our source of livelihood,” herder Chokyab Bhuttia told the WWF.

The insurance plan, which also covers sheep and goats, was set up with 1.2 million rupees donated by the University of Zurich.

Since the Kangchenjunga Conservation Area Snow Leopard Insurance plan was launched four years ago no snow leopard is thought to have been killed in retaliation for preying on livestock since.

Locals, who count the number of cattle attacked as well as tracks, fecal pellets and scratches in the ground, believe snow leopard numbers have significantly increased.

“There is now an awareness among people that the snow leopard is an endangered animal and we have to protect it. The insurance policy has made people more tolerant to the loss of their livestock,” Sherpa said.

He believes protecting the snow leopard is vital to boosting the economy in an area which gets just a few hundred trekkers a year, compared with 74,000 in Annapurna.

“If a tourist sees a snow leopard and takes a picture of it there will be publicity of our region and more tourists will come,” Sherpa said.

Evidence of the scheme’s benefits will remain anecdotal until the publication next year of the results of a wide-ranging camera trapping survey.

But locals are optimistic about the animal’s future, according to Tsheten Dandu Sherpa, chairman of the Kangchenjunga Conservation Area Management Council.

“In this area there was never any poaching of snow leopards for trade. They were killed only as a retaliatory act by livestock owners,” he said.

“Now with this insurance policy there will definitely be protection of the snow leopard and its numbers will increase.”

Related articles

• Tajikistan snow leopards, video (dearkitty1.wordpress.com)
• Snow Leopard Trust (chinaheritagewatch.wordpress.com)
• Watch: Tracking Elusive Snow Leopard in Afghanistan (abcnews.go.com)
• Christmas tree for snow leopards – by Marwell Wildlife (cottageholidaygroup.wordpress.com)
• Miller Park Zoo welcomes new Snow Leopard (cinewsnow.com)
• Camera Traps Capture Snow Leopard Cubs on Pamir Mountains of Tajikistan (sciencespacerobots.com)

South Asian bird news

This video from India is called The Amur Falcon Massacre, Doyang, Nagaland from Conservation India.

BirdLife writes about this:

Help required to end hunting massacre in Nagaland, India

Thu, Nov 15, 2012

Help required to end hunting massacre in Nagaland, India

On November 1st, national online campaigning organisation Conservation India broke the shocking news of an appalling massacre of thousands of migrating Amur Falcons Falco amurensis that had recently been trapped for sale in the remote state of Nagaland in the north-east of India.

Taking advantage of the falcons’ habit of concentrating in huge numbers during their migration, local hunters have been spreading nets across vast areas of the birds’ forest roost sites, capturing them en masse and then keeping the often-injured Amurs alive, until they might be killed and sold as fresh food. The recent trapping and slaughter appears to have been taking place on an ‘industrial scale’ and unless stopped will clearly have a devastating affect on the birds’ global population at these unsustainable levels.

Please note this video that documents the massacre contains some extremely disturbing footage.

Such is the reach of today’s social media that this emotive story went viral within hours and during the next few days, news quickly spread around the world shocking all who read about the Amurs’ plight. Conservation India’s highly effective campaign has already helped galvanise local, national and international action.

The rate of population decline of resident vultures in India and Nepal has slowed, but populations remain low and vulnerable: here.

Related articles

• Migrating Amur Falcons Massacred in India: We Need to Help These People Stop Doing This! (newswatch.nationalgeographic.com)
• Thousands of Amur falcon birds poached in Nagaland (ibnlive.in.com)
• Wildlife (elispiritweaver.wordpress.com)
• Indian birdwatching day (dearkitty1.wordpress.com)
• Top 25 Wild Bird Photographs of the Week #27 (newswatch.nationalgeographic.com)
• Sad Syrian bald ibis news (dearkitty1.wordpress.com)
• British garganey duck news (dearkitty1.wordpress.com)
• Loss and Degradation of Natural Habitats Threaten Migratory Birds, Pushing Species towards Extinction – World Migratory Bird Day 2013 Highlights Importance of Ecological Networks for Migratory Birds – Need for a Greater International Response (appablog.wordpress.com)
• The birds illegally shot in Malta (bbc.co.uk)
• Sea level rise threatens birds (sciencealert.com.au)

Good Pakistani vulture news

This video says about itself:

Missing Vultures

27 Dec 2011

This is a promo of my 20 minute documentary on the endangered vultures of Pakistan. Once found in the millions throughout Pakistan, they are now at the brink of extinction.

From Wildlife Extra:

Pakistan vultures have turned the corner after Diclofenac ban

The number of critically endangered Long-billed Vultures in Pakistan is beginning to recover

Peregrine Fund study shows that the ban on toxic veterinary drug diclofenac is effective in addressing Asian vulture crisis

October 2012. The number of critically endangered Long-billed Vultures in Pakistan is beginning to recover, thanks to a ban on the use of diclofenac, a veterinary drug that is toxic to vultures, according to a new study by The Peregrine Fund.

99% drop in numbers

Before the 2006 ban, vulture populations in Pakistan, India, and Nepal had dropped by up to 99%. Diclofenac, then a new drug in the veterinary market, was widely used to treat ailing cattle and other livestock, but vultures began dying by the thousands. The birds suffered renal failure after ingesting diclofenac-treated carcasses that had been left in the fields for scavengers.

52% increase after the ban

By 2008, two years after the ban, breeding populations of the Long-billed Vulture at the study sites in Pakistan had increased by up to 52%, the study shows.

“Our results demonstrate for the first time since the onset of the Asian vulture crisis that the ban on veterinary diclofenac is an effective management tool for reversing Long-billed Vulture population declines in the study area,” the authors said.

Long-billed vultures

Long-billed Vultures generally lay eggs in November; fledging occurs mid-March to mid-May.
They nest in colonies of up to 20 pairs.
They are about 3 feet (0.91 m) tall, weigh 12-14 pounds (5.4-6.4 kg), and have a wingspan of 6-8 feet (1.83-2.44 m).
Like all vultures, they have bald heads and broad wings built for soaring great distances with minimal effort.

Catastrophic collapse

The Peregrine Fund discovered in 2003 that diclofenac was responsible for the catastrophic collapse of vulture populations throughout South Asia. The drug was banned for veterinary use in 2006 by India, Pakistan, and Nepal and in 2010 by Bangladesh.

Recent surveys in India indicate that the ban on veterinary use of diclofenac has markedly reduced its levels in livestock carcasses to almost half of what they were prior to and immediately after the ban, but levels remain sufficiently high to continue to be a problem for vultures, the study said.

Long way to go

“Despite this encouraging trend, we have a long way to go to fully recover vulture populations throughout South Asia,” said author Virani, who heads up vulture studies for The Peregrine Fund. “Unfortunately, some livestock owners are illegally using the human version of diclofenac to relieve pain and inflammation in their animals, even when alternatives that are less toxic to vultures are available. Vultures are social animals, so just one contaminated carcass can poison many birds” he said.

Long-billed vulture

The Long-billed Vulture breeding colony studied for this project is located on a series of cliffs in the Karunjhar Hills in Sindh Province on the extreme south-eastern border of Pakistan. For up to two weeks in November and March, researchers counted the number of birds in each age class, occupied nests, unoccupied nests, nestlings, and fledglings.

Results showed that sharp declines between the 2003-04 breeding season and the 2006-07 breeding season began to be reversed in the 2007-08 season and have held steady since, the study said.

Nepal & India

“We are observing similar increases in nest occupancy for White-rumped Vultures in Nepal and Long-billed Vultures in central India, but we need more time to confirm the trends with higher certainty,” the authors said. “The population of Long-billed Vultures in Pakistan may grow to the pre-diclofenac size if adult mortality remains low, nesting continues to generate population recruits, and food availability is sufficient.”

The article, “First evidence that populations of the critically endangered Long-billed Vulture Gyps indicus in Pakistan have increased following the ban of the toxic veterinary drug diclofenac in south Asia,” was written by M. Jamshed I. Chaudry, Darcy L. Ogada, Riffat N. Malike, Munir Z. Virani, and Matthew D. Giovanni. It will be published in the peer-reviewed journal Bird Conservation International and is available online.

Related articles

• Conserving South Asia’s vultures (yubanet.com)
• CBD COP11: Swift action being taken to halt critical vulture decline (rtcc.org)
• Turkey Celebrates World Vulture Day by Satellite-tracking Its First Egyptian Vultures (newswatch.nationalgeographic.com)
• Updates from the Brink: Dying Devils, Disappearing Vultures and a $473,000 Fish (blogs.scientificamerican.com)
• ‘Vulture Restaurant’ Open To Avian, Human Public (charlotte.cbslocal.com)
• Bird Photography: Lappet-faced Vulture (beontheroad.com)

Migrant workers oppressed in Bahrain

This video is called Migrant workers in Bahrain.

From the Himalayan Times in Nepal:

Migrant workers unsafe in Bahrain‚ says rights body

2012-10-21 8:30 PM

KATHMANDU: Human Rights Watch (HRW), a rights-based organisation, has said that Bahrain — a popular job destination for Nepalis in the Gulf region — is not safe for migrant workers. Hundreds of thousands of mostly South Asian migrant workers in Bahrain face exploitation and abuse, HRW said in its 123-page report ‘For a Better Life: Migrant Worker Abuse in Bahrain and the Government Reform Agenda’.

The initiative taken by the Bahrain government to safeguard migrant workers is not enough. Migrants are suffering from various forms of discrimination and exploitation, it said. The report has suggested, “Bahraini authorities need to implement labour safeguards and redress mechanisms already in place and prosecute abusive employers.”

HRW has shown serious concern regarding domestic workers, as their major concerns — establishing maximum daily and weekly work hours, and weekly days off — were not included in the private sector labour law of 2012. “Domestic workers are excluded from key protections like physical or sexual violence and abuses,” said deputy director Middle East and North Africa Joe Stork. The global rights organisation has questioned the Bahraini government regarding the impunity granted to abusers. “There is no prosecution and enforcement of penalties for employers,” it said.

Bahrain is a popular destination among Nepali migrant workers. About 60,000 Nepalis are believed to be working in the destination and half of them are women working as domestic workers. “Sexual abuse of domestic workers in Bahrain are on the same level of the average of Gulf Cooperation Council. But the workers’ voices have not been heard by the government or the court,” it said.

According to data provided by the ministry, in 2009, 2010, and 2011, mediators resolved only 30 per cent complaints filed by migrant workers, as compared with 56 per cent complaints filed by Bahraini workers. It reveals that migrant workers are not accorded priority in the government regulating agencies. “The sponsorship system, known as Kafala, is a major obstacle to safeguarding migrant workers,” it pointed out.

HRW found no evidence that Bahraini authorities have utilised anti-trafficking legislation, introduced in 2008, to prosecute labour related violations. Similarly, the tiny Gulf nation has not fulfilled its promise to include migrants in the national legal framework.

Bahrain has just over 458,000 migrant workers –– about 77 per cent of the total work force in both public and private sectors. Most are employed in low-skill, low-wage jobs in construction, trade, manufacturing, and domestic work.

From Migrant Rights:

Oct 21, 2012

Challenging Xenophobia in Gulf Publications

Historically, minorities tend to bear the blame for society’s ills. Xenophobia against migrants in the Gulf is a widespread yet contradictory phenomenon. These accusations against migrants are undergirded by assumptions and purposefully misconstrued facts.

From Angry Arab’s Bahrain correspondent: “I know I haven’t written for a while, but this is urgent. The tiny village of Al-Ekr has been under siege since Friday. I have no idea what’s going on inside. No one can go in. No one can go out. Goods can’t come in. Goods can’t come out. Its absolutely ridiculous and what I’m hearing reminds me of what happened in Bahrain in March 2011, except that no one is reporting whats going on. The siege came after a police man was apparently killed in an explosion in Al-Ekr. The thing is that the villagers of Al-Ekr claim that they never heard an explosion, so the entire story is suspect. Either way, there’s no excuse for collective punishment. Also when policemen and security forces are allowed to act with impunity, the government should expect that one of them will eventually get killed. Zainab AlKhawaja, Yousif AlMuhafdha and Naji AlFateel (you obviously know who Zainab is but the other two are also human rights activists that work for the Bahrain Center for Human Rights) tried to enter the village but were arrested (they were later released). Victoria Nuland is of course only condemning the policeman’s death (she didn’t bother condemning the twitter arrests that happened a few days before): here.

Bahrain teacher Jalila al-Salman speaks out on eve of sentencing: here.

Bahrain: Teachers face further jail time after ‘nightmare’ verdict: here.

Rara national park in Nepal

This video is called Wildlife Nepal.

From BirdLife:

Saving Rara for the future

Mon, May 28, 2012

Bird Conservation Nepal (BCN; BirdLife Partner), the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation, and staff from the BirdLife Secretariat (Cambridge, UK) recently conducted field surveys at Rara National Park (10,600 ha) in the west of Nepal to assess and value the benefits (‘ecosystem services’) that the Park and surrounding Buffer Zone provide to people. Rara is one of Nepal’s 27 Important Bird Areas (IBAs).

“The park is important for the Cheer Pheasant, a globally threatened and restricted-range species and the lake is a valuable staging post for migrating wetland birds”, said Durga Poudel, Chief Warden, who welcomed the team and helped to organise the local logistics and plan the field work. It also supports Red Panda, Himalayan Musk Deer, Asiatic Black Bear and Clouded Leopard.

International Women’s Day 2012

This video from England says about itself:

Million Women Rise 2009, march for International Women’s Day London: Oxford Street 7th March 2009 Copyright: Pam Isherwood

Today, 8 March 2012, is International Women’s Day again.

In many places all over the world, women pay attention to that in various weays.

Here is a message from Pakistan.

Here is one from Australia.

Women and children from Waltham Forest Asian Mothers Group have started work on a giant living dome at the WaterWorks nature reserve in east London as a tribute to the rights of women globally: here.

Here is an article by Louise Raw from Britain.

Here is an article by Liz Payne from Britain.

Britain: The government was slammed today for pushing through cuts that are largely falling on the shoulders of women as MPs from all parties voiced their support for International Women’s Day: here.

Prime Minister David Cameron and his sidekick Nick Clegg pledged todayto sign the Council of Europe’s Convention on Violence Against Women and Domestic Violence – a vow that failed to impress female activists: here.

International Women’s Day 2012: Sylvia Pankhurst, the forgotten suffragette: here.

Here is a Kurdish women’s message.

And here is a report from the World Wildlife Fund about Nepal:

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY FEATURE

Posted on 07 March 2012

Sabita’s Journey with WWF-Nepal

Sabita Malla, 27 years of age, is WWF-Nepal’s Senior Research Officer. With a Master’s Degree in Wildlife Sciences from Wildlife Institute of India in Dehradun, Sabita has made significant strides as a young female conservationist. Her professional career started with WWF-Nepal in 2010 as Research Officer for the Terai Arc Landscape (TAL) Program; she was promoted to Senior Research Officer in less than two years.

Sabita has been a part of some of the most challenging and successful wildlife monitoring and research operations at WWF-Nepal. Some of these included the ID-based rhino monitoring program and gharial population survey in TAL, Nepal’s first satellite telemetry to monitor tigers in Bardia National Park, and the implementation of Management Information System Technology (MIST) in Shuklaphanta Wildlife Reserve, Chitwan National Park and Bardia National Park to aid patrolling and species monitoring activities.

As we celebrate the indomitable spirit of women in the backdrop of International Women’s Day, WWF-Nepal brings to you Sabita’s story through excerpts of an interview conducted with her at Bardia National Park in Nepal’s Terai Arc Landscape. Sabita is currently leading a team of 33 people in the national park in setting up about 120 camera traps to help monitor tiger populations in the area, and also conducting prey-base population monitoring.

A Conversation with Sabita

What motivated you to work for tigers and wildlife conservation?

Growing up in a small village in western Nepal, the outdoors was my playroom. I would go looking for butterflies and birds in the forest, wading through streams, climbing up and down the hills while naming every tree I crossed along the way.

It gave me a deep love for nature that motivated me to study about species ecology, habitats and conservation at India’s prestigious Wildlife Institute of India.

But it was only during my field research in 2009 that the wildlife conservation crisis in Nepal became real to me. I can still hear the echo of gunshots as poachers killed wildlife inside Bardia. It made me realize that I had to be part of the efforts to save my country’s iconic species.

And here I am today, right back in the same protected area, working with the government and local communities to assess the important progress we’ve made in the past few years.

How does it feel to be leading an all-male team for this tiger monitoring project?

People tell me that being the only woman during field operations is probably a big challenge. I don’t think so. And I do not think that I should be treated differently from my male colleagues. The most important thing is to be very adaptive and able to work with others. You need to create a bond of trust and respect with each and every team member. When I am in the field, I am the same as my other team members. We are connected by one cause—to help understand and protect wildlife.

USA: Remembering Lucy Gonzales Parsons this International Women’s Day: here.

On International Women’s Day, Congress debates measure to limit reproductive rights: here.

Forced Ultrasound, “Informed Consent,” and Women’s Health in Texas: The Sad State of the State. Andrea Grimes, RH Reality Check: “Last month, when news spread that Virginia legislators were considering a forced trans-vaginal ultrasound bill, the uproar was loud, clear and immediate: women would never stand for this invasive and unnecessary law. Politicos and pop-culture icons alike spoke out against the Republican-led legislation. What kind of world are we living in, reasonable people wondered, when ‘informed consent’ is tantamount to state-sanctioned rape?” Here.

Texas Republicans’ campaign against abortion providers endangers key state women’s health program: here.

Women’s Rights Are Human Rights. Ron Jacobs, The Rag Blog: “Besides the fact that it celebrates women in a society primarily controlled by men, it is the socialist roots of International Women’s Day that have discouraged its celebration in the United States…. The insistent capitalism of America’s ruling classes will not so much as even acknowledge a holiday determined by the workers that celebrates something besides the domination of Wall Street and Washington”: here.

As International Women’s Day is celebrated across the globe, She Bop a Lula, a photo exhibition at the Strand Gallery in London, pays tribute to music’s leading ladies from Tina Turner to Siouxsie Sioux via Beyoncé, Diana Ross, Debbie Harry and Sinéad O’Connor. The shots are all taken by women photographers, who have agreed to donate them for free: here.

The Gender of Media Creators Affects What We See. Anne Elizabeth Moore and Mickey Zacchilli, Truthout: “For Women’s History Month, ‘Ladydrawers’ offers part two of our look at gender disparity in hiring practices across all media … an issue underscored by VIDA’s release of 2011 gender counts in literary publishing last month. What we start to see when we compare labor stats to content concerns is a direct relationship between who makes and edits our news, art and popular culture – and how women are portrayed in media”: here.

“Woeful” lack of women at top of Dutch companies: here.

Where is the outrage on gender oppression in #Swaziland? – call for action: here.

This video is about the 8 March demonstration in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.

Jobs (and Your Tax Dollars) for Christians and Crisis Pregnancy Centers. Sofia Resnick, The American Independent: “If you want to help carry out the anti-abortion mission of the taxpayer-funded Care Net Pregnancy Resource Center, you have to be a Christian. It’s right there on the Rapid City, S.D., center’s volunteer application…. But that hasn’t stopped the center from receiving federal funding and other forms of government support”: here.

Nepalese snow leopard on camera

From the WWF today:

Camera traps installed by WWF in the Nepalese Himalayas have captured their first picture of an endangered snow leopard. The cameras are part of a community monitoring project that will help WWF estimate number of snow leopards in area and determine the best way to conserve them.

First Amur tiger captured by camera trap in Wandashan mountains: here.

Russian reserve created for Amur leopard and tiger: here.

Amur leopards born: here.

Blue sheep protected from hunters in Nepal: here.

Protecting bird habitats in Nepal

From BirdLife about this video:

Bird Conservation Nepal (BirdLife Partner) has launched a documentary to highlight the value of Important Bird Areas (IBAs: critical areas for biodiversity conservation) to people and therefore the importance of conserving these sites. Despite great efforts being made to conserve biodiversity in Nepal, the country still lags behind in protecting natural habitats.

Migrant workers killed in Saudi Arabia

This video is called False Promises, Forced Labour of Nepalese Migrant Workers.

From Arab News:

7 laborers die in Riyadh fire

By GHAZANFAR ALI KHAN | ARAB NEWS

Published: Jul 2, 2011 23:41 Updated: Jul 2, 2011 23:41

RIYADH: Seven people were killed and two seriously injured after a fire broke out in a cramped labor accommodation in the early hours of Saturday in the Saudi capital. Six of the victims were Indian workers.

“Most of the workers died because of burn injuries, and possibly because of the severe suffocation as well as smoke inhalation,” said Manohar Ram, charge d’affaires at the Indian Embassy, on Saturday.

Ram said that police have launched an investigation to ascertain the cause of the blaze.

“The embassy officials spent more than six hours at the site of the fire today and visited the Central Somaisi Hospital, where two injured workers have been admitted,” said the diplomat. Five of the victims were from the India’s southern state of Kerala.

They all were below 40 and their bodies are in Somaisi’s morgue.

A Nepali worker was also killed. Ram said the embassy was making all necessary arrangements to send the bodies to India.

He said the bodies of the Indians were identifiable despite severe injuries.

“There were indications of bleeding from the nose … and it seems that the bleeding was mainly because of the suffocation and smoke inhalation,” he added.

The embassy, he said, was trying to repatriate the bodies as early as possible.

Some of the bodies may be locally buried if the victims’ families say so or else they will be sent to India, said Ram.

He pointed out that E. Ahamed, Indian minister of state for external affairs, was briefed about the incident on Saturday.

The Federation of Kerala Associations in Saudi Arabia (FOKASA) has expressed grief over the deaths of workers in the fire, which broke out at the workers’ accommodation adjoining Al-Suweilan Supermarket in the city’s Batha District.

“It is believed that the workers’ accommodation was a makeshift arrangement and that the safety measures were sub-standard,” said FOKASA in an e-mail to Arab News on Saturday.

The FOKASA has also called for payment of adequate compensation to the victims’ families.

Those who died have been identified as Sulaiman, 30; Abdul Raheem, 28; Shaji Thomas, 32; Ajith, 26; Ahmed Kabeer, 37; Muhammad, 45; and Rakesh Shah, 24, from Nepal. The injured workers are Muhammad Ali and Niaz, both from Kerala.

Op-ed from Pakistan: “One can witness a pervasive sort of racism, a form of Saudi supremacy”: here.

Birds and conservation in Nepal

This video says about itself:

Sarus Cranes – Giant Bird

The tallest bird in the world near extinction. The National Geographic travels to Nepal to see what is being done to conserve this majestic birds.

From AFP news agency:

Nepal‘s ‘birdman’ spreads conservation message

Fri Jan 9, 1:34 AM

KATHMANDU – In the centre of Kathmandu, Gautam Sapkota raises his hand to his mouth and emits a series of loud screeches. Within minutes, the sky above him is full of hundreds of crows answering his call.

Sapkota can mimic the calls of 150 birds, and in 2008 was named a “young conservationist of the year” by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) for his ability to entertain and educate young people about nature.

“Right now I am saying in crow ‘Come, I am your friend’,” said the 26-year-old, as the noisy black birds wheeled overhead and settled in nearby trees.

At the regular presentations he makes to schools, Sapkota astounds crowds with his bird calls, and encourages children to learn about wild animals and the importance of protecting the environment.

“He has a unique way of generating interest about birds and teaching students about conservation,” WWF communication officer Sanijb Chaudhary told AFP.

Crows were one of the first birds Sapkota successfully imitated and, after years of practice, he is able to call them to him — and make them fly away.

On a recent afternoon in the grounds of Nepal‘s parliament he impressed local workers with his abilities.

“It’s amazing, and hard to believe it’s real,” said building supervisor Narendra Chaudhary as he watched a huge flock of birds circle above Sapkota.

But learning his skills during Nepal’s recent civil war came at a risk for Sapkota, the eldest son of a farmer.

In 2005, as the army battled the former rebel Maoists who now run the country, Sapkota was in the jungle near his home in central Nepal learning bird calls when he was picked up by an army patrol.

They accused him of being a Maoist spy.

“It was only after I mimicked the sound of about 12 birds they realised I was genuine and let me go,” said Sapkota, who prior to his calling as a bird mimic worked in a factory making noodle packets.

With diverse habitats that range from the world’s highest mountains in the north to tropical plains and jungles in the south, Nepal is a paradise for bird lovers, with around 850 species recorded.

Of those, 31 are classified as “globally threatened” by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, said Bipendra Joshi, executive officer from the Bird Conservation Nepal group.

“Four species became extinct between 2001 and 2007,” he said.

In addition, “fish-eating birds and migratory birds are declining in numbers in Nepal’s wetlands due to over-fishing by locals and habitat encroachment,” he said.

“Birds are indicators of a healthy eco-system but many species are under threat. Both poaching and habitat destruction are on the rise.

“Poaching of tiger and rhino gets a lot of attention, but the same is not true of birds.

“Sapkota can help raise interest in the plight of Nepal’s birdlife.”

Sapkota wants to develop his work in schools, and also release an album of popular folk tunes done in bird calls.

“People laugh when I make these sounds and I enjoy it, but at the same time I am also sharing my knowledge about birds and the eco-systems they live in,” he said.

“Rarer species here may become extinct, but I am glad that I am be able to preserve the voices.

A major new report has been published entitled State of Nepal’s Birds 2010. Produced by Bird Conservation Nepal and the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation: here.

At the Convention on Biological Diversity’s COP11 in Hyderabad, India, Dr Krishna Chandra Paudel (Secretary, Ministry of Forests and Soil Conservation in Nepal) has launched a report entitled Conserving biodiversity and delivering ecosystem services at Important Bird Areas in Nepal: here.

In Pictures: Rhino comeback in Nepal: here.

A NEPALESE official reported on Monday that a female journalist who reported on women’s rights and spoke out against the dowry system in southern Nepal had been stabbed to death by a mob at the weekend: here.