Laxman Prasad Poudyal

• MSc in Natural Resource Management and Rural Development
• Program Manager at DEPARTMENT OF NATIONAL PARKS AND WILDLIFE CONSERVATION, NEPAL

Ensuring the long‐term persistence of snow leopards (Panthera uncia) in changing landscapes requires a deep understanding of their spatial ecology and movement behavior. To maintain viable metapopulations and ensure gene flow between populations, there is an urgent need to develop sound and effective conservation plans. This study presents findings...

Bengal florican Houbaropsis bengalensis is a globally Critically Endangered bustard species found in South and Southeast Asia. In Nepal it is rare, local and declining, and only breeds in three disjunct protected areas in the lowlands: Shuklaphanta and Chitwan National Parks (NPs), and Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve and adjoining areas. Declines of B...

There were records of 459 avian species in the Shuklaphanta National Park (Poudyal & Chaudhary 2019; Poudyal et al. 2022). Additionally, the park has recorded five new species: the Desert Wheatear (Oenanthe deserti), Grey-bellied Cuckoo (Cacomantis passerines), Common Wood-Pigeon (Columba palumbus), Himalayan Cuckoo (Cuculus saturates), and Lesser...

Shivapuri Nagarjun National Park harbors diverse avifauna. The last checklist of birds for Shivapuri, published by SNP and BCN (2007), covered 318 species. However, it excluded the Nagarjun Forest birds as this area wasn't incorporated into the national park until 2009. Since then, several new bird sightings have been reported in Shivapuri Nagarjun...

A seven-day bird survey Banke National Park and Buffer Zone (BaNPBZ) was carried out in March 2024, followed by a desk study extracting records from eBird and Annual Waterbird counts. These records were used to compile an updated checklist for BaNPBZ. A total of 276 bird species has been recorded up to 6 April 2024 including 23 additional species f...

Pheasants of Pipar and Santel, Annapurna Conservation Area

An updated checklist of mammalian richness is an important tool for biodiversity conservation and management of protected areas. In this study, we present the updated checklist of wild mammals of Shivapuri Nagarjun National Park (SNNP) in the central mid-hill of Nepal based on direct observation, field reports, key informant interviews, and a liter...

Climate change and land use change pose a threat to the world's biodiversity and have significant impacts on the geographic distribution and composition of many bird species, but little is known about how they affect imperiled large-sized waterbird species that rely on agricultural landscapes. To address this gap, we investigated how climate and la...

Pheasants remain one of the least studied and popular target species for hunters and trappers in many parts of Nepal. Cheer Pheasant Catreus wallichii, is classified as rare and Vulnerable species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, as well as an Endangered species in the National Red List of Birds in Nepal, and one of the nine o...

An ichthyological survey along with a desk study was carried out at Shuklaphanta National Park, Kanchanpur, Nepal which harbours varieties of fish fauna. To this end, field surveys were held during the spring (March to April) and the autumn (September to October) in 2020 aiming to determine the fish checklist present in the study area. Cast net of...

Asian woollyneck (Ciconia episcopus) is a large wading bird species whose conservation status has been recently down-listed, despite a lack of concrete information on its nesting ecology and breeding success. In this study, we report its breeding success and nest habitat suitability in Nepal from 39 nesting sites (2016-2020). Simal (Bombax ceiba) (...

Additional four more avian species were recorded in Shuklaphanta National Park. They are Slaty-backed Forktail Enicurus schistaceus, Spotted Forktail Enicurus maculatus, Great Grey Shrike Lanius excubitor and Rufous-bellied Niltava Niltava sundara. Three of these four additional species were detected in the park’s northern section in the Churia Hil...

Burmese Ferret Badger (Melogale personata) was recorded by camera trapping for the first time in Nepal's Nagarjun forest of Shivapui Nagarjun National Park. According to IUCN, it was expected to inhabit only the eastern part of Nepal but recently the species has been recorded from central and western parts of the country. A globally rarely studied...

Out of the 51 species of Pheasants recorded in the world, 8 species are found in Nepal. Among them, Indian Peafowl (Pavo cristatus) and Red Junglefowl (Gallus gallus) are found in the lowlands and up to the mid-hills of Nepal. Kalij Pheasant (Lophura leucomelanos), Cheer Pheasant (Catreus wallichii), Blood Pheasant (Ithaginis cruentus), Satyr Trago...

Bat surveys in 20 Protected Areas (PAs) of Nepal are sporadic and/or had targeted purposively a few localities, therefore, bat diversity from the PAs is yet to be explored. Bat species richness in PAs from two reviews until 2011 are inconsistent. In total, seven surveys have been undertaken in six PAs since 2011. Hence, an update and revision on ch...

Nepal is a global biodiversity hotspot, supporting 213 mammal species with diverse habitats across various landscape types, from the lowland Terai to the high Himalayas. Studies of Nepal’s mammalian fauna are not evenly distributed and better understanding of past biases towards some species, research themes and locations can provide better strateg...

A review on impact of anthropogenic activities in Sudurpaschim province by studying different literatures.

Blackbuck Antilope cervicapra, which was once extinct in Nepal, has recovered back to a population from 9 to 234 in Khairapur (Krishnasaar Conservation Area) and 28 to 115 in Hirapur Phanta (Shuklaphanta National Park) by 10 September 2020. Government of Nepal declared a specific protected area Krishnasaar Conservation Area, Khairapur with electric...

Upper Setikhola valley in the west-central Nepal is a flagship area for bird conservation. This valley includes the two most important bird sites i.e. Pipar and Santel which have been identified as the most important bird area It lies on the western slope of Seti River Valley in the Annapurna Region of the Central Himalaya. The area (Piper) was fir...

The book "Wild Mammals of the Shuklaphanta National Park" describes a total of 56 mammalian species. We have described 56 mammals in the book; however additional species "Himalayan Goral" was spotted in the park when this book was in the press. The new update for the park is 57 mammalian species. The documentation of 56 species were based on camera...

The wild yak Bos mutus was believed to be regionally extinct in Nepal for decades until our team documented two individuals from Upper Humla, north‐western Nepal, in 2014. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) seeks further evidence for the conclusive confirmation of that sighting. We conducted line transects and opportunistic s...

Background: Asian Woollyneck Ciconia episcopus is large wading bird whose conservation status has been recently down-listed, despite a lack of general knowledge on its nesting ecology and breeding success. Thus, in this study we conducted the most comprehensive survey on the nesting ecology of this species to date. Methods: We located 39 nesting si...

The White-throated Bushchat, also known as Hodgson’s Bushchat, is a long-distance migratory and specialist grassland bird categorized as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. In Nepal, White-throated Bushchat winters in the lowlands, and has been primarily recorded in large Phantas (=open plains of grassland). We present the population status of the spe...

Here, in this paper, we report sightings and the first photographic record of Himalayan Goral from the Shuklaphanta National Park. Goral is the 57 th Mammal reported from the park. A list of 56 species of mammals was published in 2019. (https://www.researchgate.net/publication/338488810_Mammals_of_Shuklaphanta_An_Account_from_Camera_Trap_Survey)...

A detailed bird checklist for Shuklaphanta National Park in Nepal was published in 2019 (Poudyal & Chaudhary 2019) with a list of 450 bird species in the park. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/343041218_Birds_of_Shuklaphanta_National_Park Additional 6 species were recorded; and now updated bird list for the park is 456 species. The addition...

Finn's Weaver Ploceus megarhynchus, a globally threatened and restricted species to Nepal and India, is very rare, breeding resident and summer visitor to Nepal with regular records from Shuklaphanta National Park (ShNP). Survey for its nesting colonies and birds was conducted between 24-30 June 2020 in Shuklaphanta grasslands and Chaudhar river fl...

The bats are the very poorly studied mammalian species in Shuklaphanta National Park. Indian Flying Fox (Pteropus giganteus), Greater Short-nosed Fruit Bat (Cynopterus sphinx) and Greater Asiatic Yellow House Bat (Scotophilus heathii) were recorded in Kanchanpur district in the periphery of the park; however there were no documented evidences of an...

Bengal Florican is one of the rarest bustard species and is listed ‘Critically Endangered’ by the IUCN, restricted to the lowland grasslands of India, Nepal and Cambodia with fewer than 1000 mature individuals. We had repeated our first comprehensive a survey conducted during 2012 to assess the current species status in Koshi Tappu Wildlilfe Reserv...

A total of 450 species of birds have been recorded so far in Shuklaphanta National Park representing 19 Orders and 78 Families. Passerine birds represent 213 species of 40 families whereas Non passerine birds represent 237 Species of 38 families. The Book Birds of Shuklaphanta 2019 presents photographs and list of Birds recorded in Shuklaphanta Nat...

The Bengal Florican is one of the rarest bustard species and is listed ‘Critically Endangered’ by the IUCN. The species is restricted to the lowland grasslands of India, Nepal, and Cambodia with fewer than 1,000 mature individuals. To assess the species status in Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve, Nepal, we repeated our first comprehensive survey conduc...

High mountains tend to create vast rivers and wetlands downstream. In the Hindu Kush-Himalaya (HKH) region those features are extreme. These wetlands are of massive extent and offer unique habitats for species; birds are flagships of those situations. For instance, the Koshi river makes the largest floodplains of all the rivers in Nepal, has the hi...

We present 71 herpetofauna species in Shuklaphanta National Park (ShNP) and its buffer zone based on field surveys, rescue records, photo, and literature records. The list comprises 15 currently known species of amphibians and 56 species of reptiles. We recorded Laudanka Vine Snake Ahaetulla laudankia as a new species record for Nepal. Likewise, fo...

We present 71 herpetofauna species in Shuklaphanta National Park (ShNP) and its buffer zone based on field surveys, rescue records, photo, and literature records. The list comprises 15 currently known species of amphibians and 56 species of reptiles. We recorded Laudanka Vine Snake Ahaetulla laudankia as a new species record for Nepal. Likewise, fo...

Upper Setikhola valley in the west central Nepal is a flagship area for bird conservation. This valley includes two most important bird sites i.e. Pipar and Santel which have been identified as the most important bird area inside the Annapurna Conservation Area. We conducted pheasant call count in this area in May 2019. Koklass Pheasant, Satyr Trag...

The group of birds in Nepal which are most at risk are the lowland grassland specialists, of which 55% are threatened. The Shuklaphanta grasslands provide refuge for many of these species, including the Critically Endangered Bengal Florican Houbaropsis bengalensis, Swamp Francolin Francolinus gularis, Finn’s Weaver Ploceus megarhynchus and White-th...

Anthropogenic activities have driven many wildlife species towards extinction. Among these species, the geographic distributions of many are poorly documented, which can limit the effectiveness of conservation. The critically endangered Chinese pangolin (Manis pentadactyla) is experiencing population decline throughout its range due to land-use cha...

Snow Leopard Conservation Action Plan for Nepal (2017-2021)

This rhino conservation action plan further outlines priority outcomes for each of the objectives and then translates these conservation objectives and desirable outcomes into actions, measurable indicators and realistic time-frames. The Greater One-horned Rhinoceros Conservation Action Plan for Nepal (2017-2021) envisions three viable populations...

An increasing intensity of camera traps recorded the presence of poorly known and globally Endangered Asiatic Wild Dogs Cuon alpinus from different locations in recent years in Nepal. After 18 years since the previous report, we recorded 29 photos and a video of Dholes in four independent detections with an effort of 4,035 trap-nights during camera...

We investigated the factors facilitating co-occurrence of two large carnivores, tigers (Panthera tigris) and common leopards (Panthera pardus), within a human-dominated landscape. We estimated their density and population size using camera-trap photographs and examined spatial segregation of habitats, temporal activity pattern, and diets in Chitwan...

Twelve cat species were recorded in Nepal including the largest, Tiger Panthera tigris, and the smallest, Rusty-spotted Cat Prionailurus rubiginosus. There is more research on the Panthera species than on small wild cats; consequently, the conservation status, distribution, and ecology of small cat species are poorly known. In this article, we repo...

The marbled cat Pardofelismarmorata is a Near Threatened small felid. The cat’s presence in Nepal is based on an anecdote. A camera trap-based study to access diversity and abundance of terrestrial mammals in eastern Nepal accumulated 3,014 camera trap days and resulted in 5,176 photographs of 17 medium-large sized mammal species. Amongst them, a m...

The rusty-spotted cat Prionailurus rubiginosus is the smallest felid in the world and is found only in Sri Lanka, India and Nepal. The first record of rusty-spotted cat in Nepal dates back to 2016 from the protected areas of western Terai. Very little is known about this elusive cat all over its distribution range owing to very few targeted studies...

List of the mammals prepared in this book is primarily based on the species records on camera trapping survey of 2018. The Tiger photographs were immediately analyzed to estimate the Tiger population and rest of the photographs remained in the depository. We published this book carefully looking at the pictures of wildlife obtained in camera traps...

Himalayan musk deer (Moschus leucogaster; hereafter musk deer) are endangered as a result of poaching and habitat loss. The species is nocturnal, crepuscular, and elusive, making direct observation of habitat use and behavior difficult. However, musk deer establish and repeatedly use the same latrines for defecation. To quantify musk deer habitat c...

Gharials (Gavialis gangeticus), only survivor of the Gavialidae family, are highly threatened keystone species of freshwater ecosystems. They are confined in few tributaries of Ganga river in India and Nepal in fragmented populations. Their population also declined drastically due to anthropogenic as well as natural causes. Governments and conserva...

The snow leopard Panthera uncia is globally threatened and reliable information on its abundance, distribution and prey species is a prerequisite for its conservation. In October–November 2014 we assessed the distribution of the snow leopard in the recently established Api Nampa Conservation Area in the Nepal Himalayas. Within selected blocks we co...

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Fishing cats (Prionailurus viverrinus) are globally threatened. Recent surveys suggest further decline of their populations throughout their range. In Nepal, their status is poorly known. However, due to increasing intensity of camera trap surveys, fishing cats were recorded in different protected areas in recent years. In Bardia National Park BNP...

Fishing cats Prionailurus viverrinus are globally threatened. Recent surveys suggest further decline of their populations throughout their range. In Nepal, their status is poorly known. However, due to increasing intensity of camera trap surveys, fishing cats were recorded in different protected areas in recent years. In Bardia National Park BNP of...

Effective management of the wildlife stockpiles is important to reduce the risk of leakage of contraband to illegal markets. The management of wildlife stockpiles involves a chain of systematized processes that should ensure that such information is not lost, and the destruction of the stockpiles is followed by post-destruction activities. This boo...

The main objectives of the Nepal National Mammal Red Data Book (RDB) were to provide comprehensive and up-to-date accounts of 212 mammal species recorded in Nepal, assess their status applying the IUCN Guidelines at Regional Levels, identify threats and recommend the most practical measures for their conservation. It is hoped that the Mammal RDB wi...

Shey-Phoksundo National Park (SPNP) is the largest National Park in Nepal with an area of 3555 sq.km. which is situated in Dolpa and Mugu districts in the north-west trans-Himalayan region. It is bordered by Tibet in the north, Mustang in the east and Humla in the west. A total of 300 species of birds have been recorded so far in and around the SPN...

Technology is rapidly changing the methods in the field of wildlife monitoring. Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is an example of a new technology that allows biologists to take to the air to monitor wildlife. Fixed Wing UAV was used to monitor critically endangered gharial population along 46 km of the Babai River in Bardia National Park. The UAV was...

This report synthesizes the findings of the third nationwide tiger and prey survey, led by the Department of National Parks & Wildlife Conservation (DNPWC) and Department of Forests and Soil Conservation (DFSC) with the support from WWF Nepal, National Trust for Nature Conservation (NTNC), and ZSL-Nepal. Citizen scientists and students of various i...

On May 8, 2017, a fourth snow leopard, named Yalung; after a local mountain peak, by the locals, was thus captured and collared in the Kangchenjunga Conservation Area (KCA), as part of a long-term satellite telemetry study led by the Government of Nepal's (GoN) Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation (DNPWC). This collaborative proje...

In Nepal, the Asiatic black bear (Ursus thibetanus) occurs across the Middle Hills but not in the lowland Terai of Nepal, which is occupied by the sloth bear ( Melursus ursinus ). A single record exists, from a camera trapping survey in 1999 - 2000, of a Himalayan black bear in the Babai Valley (along the Babai River) of Bardia National Park (Jnawa...

The snow leopard and ecosystem management plan for the Eastern Himalaya Landscape Nepal is prepared in response to the Bishkek declaration (2013) to secure 20 snow leopard landscapes by 2020. The management plan process involved extensive consultation and in-depth analyses of the current bio-climatic and socio-economic situation; an assessment of f...

We review the distribution of Cheer Pheasant in Nepal

The main objectives of the Nepal National Bird Red Data Book were to provide comprehensive and up-to-date accounts of all the bird species found in Nepal, assess their status applying the IUCN Guidelines at Regional Levels, identify threats to all bird species and recommend the most practical measures for their conservation. It is hoped that the Bi...

The Galliformes of Pipar which lies within the Annapurna Conservation Area in Central Nepal has been surveyed 11 times since 1979 and most recently in 2011, 2013 and 2014. The nearby area Santel was surveyed 4 times using identical methods since 2001 and most recently in 2012. In continuance of this long term monitoring at Pipar and to provide a fo...

The main objectives of this national Bird Red Data Book are to provide comprehensive accounts of all the bird species found in Nepal, assess their status applying the IUCN Guidelines at Regional Levels (IUCN 2003), identify threats to bird species and recommend the most practical measures for their conservation. The species nomenclature in this Red...

The main objectives of this national Bird Red Data Book are to provide comprehensive accounts of all the bird species found in Nepal, assess their status applying the IUCN Guidelines at Regional Levels (IUCN 2003), identify threats to bird species and recommend the most practical measures for their conservation. The species nomenclature in this Red...

The main objectives of this national Bird Red Data Book are to provide comprehensive accounts of all the bird species found in Nepal, assess their status applying the IUCN Guidelines at Regional Levels (IUCN 2003), identify threats to bird species and recommend the most practical measures for their conservation. The species nomenclature in this Red...

The main objectives of this national Bird Red Data Book are to provide comprehensive accounts of all the bird species found in Nepal, assess their status applying the IUCN Guidelines at Regional Levels (IUCN 2003), identify threats to bird species and recommend the most practical measures for their conservation. The species nomenclature in this Red...

The main objectives of this national Bird Red Data Book are to provide comprehensive accounts of all the bird species found in Nepal, assess their status applying the IUCN Guidelines at Regional Levels (IUCN 2003), identify threats to bird species and recommend the most practical measures for their conservation. The species nomenclature in this Red...

The main objectives of this national Bird Red Data Book are to provide comprehensive accounts of all the bird species found in Nepal, assess their status applying the IUCN Guidelines at Regional Levels (IUCN 2003), identify threats to bird species and recommend the most practical measures for their conservation. The species nomenclature in this Red...

The main objectives of this national Bird Red Data Book are to provide comprehensive accounts of all the bird species found in Nepal, assess their status applying the IUCN Guidelines at Regional Levels (IUCN 2003), identify threats to bird species and recommend the most practical measures for their conservation. The species nomenclature in this Red...

A study was carried out in the upper Seti Khola forests of Annapurna Conservation Area in Nepal in winter and spring of 2008 to estimate the abundance of Galliformes and map their habitat suitability at a landscape level. Dawn call counts for Hill Partridge Arborophila torqueola, Satyr Tragopan Tragopan satyra and Koklass Pheasant Pucrasia macrolop...

Nepal is exceptionally rich for avian fauna with a total of 871 species recorded in just about 200 years of modern ornithological research. Bird conservation is deeply rooted in Nepali people's culture, tradition and religion. Government of Nepal, from time to time, has initiated many important conservation initiatives reeecting its commitments tow...

Habitat loss and alteration, pollution, and hunting are the main threats to Nepal’s birds. Monitoring the populations and conservation education to local people are crucial to conserve these threatened birds. Far western Nepal supports more than 17 globally threatened bird species including Cheer Pheasant and Bengal Florican. The aim of this projec...

Nepal provides habitat for eight pheasants and fourteen other galliforme species. These birds are heavily exploited due to direct and indirect human influences. Monitoring of Himalayan galliformes in the Pipar area of the Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP) is one of the longest wildlife monitoring campaigns in the country. With support from...

We assessed the density, population size, habitat use and threats to the cheer pheasant Catreus wallichii in Dhorpatan Valley, Nepal, within Dhorpatan Hunting Reserve (DHR) and in the proposed buffer zone in 2003 and 2005. Cheer were found in the Surtibhag, Phagune, Bobang and Muri areas where densities of cheer pheasant recorded were 5 (± 1.2), 12...

Habitat loss and alteration, pollution, and hunting are the main threats to Nepal’s birds. Monitoring the populations and conservation education to local people are crucial to conserve these threatened birds. Far western Nepal supports more than 16 globally threatened bird species including cheer pheasant. The aim of this project was to survey the...

The Galliformes of Pipar have been surveyed seven times between 1979 and 1998. The nearby area of Santel was surveyed using comparable methods in 2001. In continuance of the long-term monitoring at Pipar and to provide a second count at Santel, dawn call counts were conducted in both areas, using the same survey points as previous surveys, between...

A study was carried out in the upper Setikhola forests of Annapurna Conservation Area in winter and spring of 2008 to estimate the abundance of Galliformes, assess their habitat and map their habitat suitability of these species at a landscape level. Dawn call counts for Hill Partridge, Satyr Tragopan and Koklass Pheasant, and trail walks were car...

A survey of Bengal Florican Houbaropsis bengalensis was carried out in April–May 2007 in Bardia and Chitwan National Parks and Suklaphanta Wildlife Reserve of Nepal aiming to determine status, distribution and population change. A total of 8–9 males and 2 females at Suklaphanta, 1–2 males at Bardia and 5–7 males at Chitwan were recorded. Compared t...

The Bengal Florican Houbaropsis bengalensis, a habitat specialist bird, is one of the three bustards found in the Indian subcontinent. It belongs to the Gruiformes order and Otididae family. It is listed as critically endangered on the IUCN Red Data Book, as protected on National Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act in Nepal and under Appendix 1 of...

A study of floral diversity and the impacts of livestock kept by nomads was carried out at Pipar (Annapurna Conservation Area, Nepal) from October-November 2004. The aim of the study was to describe the floristic composition of the area and to determine the effects of grazing and compare it with similar data collected in 1983. To collect the data w...

The Galliformes of Pipar which now lies in the Annapurna Conservation Area in central Nepal have been surveyed seven times since 1979 and most recently in 1998. The nearby area of Santel was surveyed using identical methods in 2001. In continuance of this long-term monitoring at Pipar and to provide a second count at Santel, dawn call counts were c...

The research entitled “A Study of Floral Diversity and Grazing Impacts in Pipar Pheasant Sanctuary, Nepal” was carried out from 24 October to 13 November 2004. Quadrates in transects, direct field observation and interviews were taken to describe vegetation and grazing impacts. Topo-sheets were used to produce habitat map through GIS tools. Differe...