Abhaya Raj Joshi

Nepal's new snow leopard conservation plan for 2024-2030 marks a shift in focus from research and monitoring to community engagement and conflict resolution.

The presence of live viruses and sub-lineages found in dogs and carnivores in some samples indicates that the big cat contracted the infection from prey.

In January 2024, a snow leopard was found far from its usual high-elevation habitat, roaming in Nepal's eastern plains — a region that's the turf of the tiger.

KATHMANDU — When discussing conservation in Nepal — home to iconic species such as the Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris tigris), snow leopard (Panthera uncia) and red panda (Ailurus fulgens) —awareness-raising among local communities often takes center stage. Many conservation projects conduct awareness programs through media including documentaries, books and pamphlets focusing on adults. However, journalist […]

KATHMANDU — Scientists and government officials have embarked on the uphill task of coming up with a number, or even just a range, for the population of snow leopards in the Himalayan country. To do so, they’re having to rely on several fragmented studies carried out during different periods of time in different landscapes across […]

KATHMANDU — Researchers have discovered brown bears in a part of Nepal not previously known to host the species, prompting a call to protect this area as a bear “stronghold.” The finding, based on camera-trap images, also expands the known range of the brown bear (Ursus arctos) in Asia. It could also mark out the […]

With more than 676 species, including more than two dozen endemic, Nepal is an important habitat for butterflies.

KATHMANDU — The elusive snow leopard (Panthera uncia), often described as the “ghost of the mountains,” has captivated the imagination of researchers, the general public and mountain communities for centuries. Fables related to this enigmatic big cat have been handed down from generation to generation, weaving a sense of mystery and reverence for the cat […]

Nepal successfully increased its wild tiger population, tripling numbers since 2010, but this achievement brings challenges like human-wildlife conflict, habitat loss and balancing conservation with development.

KATHMANDU — In October 2019, Nepal’s government introduced a new Forest Act. The law laid the basis for the establishment of the Forest Development Fund (FDF) with an extensive mandate ranging from running afforestation programs to facilitating research and addressing human-wildlife conflict. Yet, five years later, the FDF has not spent a single rupee, even […]