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Repori Series, # 35

Anti-Poaching Operations:
A Report on Anti-Poaching Operations
in
RBNP, RCNP, PWR, SWR.
(1992 - 1998)

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Nepal Proglam

June 1998

.

1698

 Anti-Poaching Operations:
A Report on Anti-Poaching Operations
in
RBNP, RCNP, PWR, SWR
(1992 - 1998)

Prepared by

dekll chungJalpa
Intern, WWF

N"epal

Program

WWF Nepal Progrrm
Gha 2-332, L.l Durbar
GPO Box 7660
Kathmandu, Nepal
Tel  4219901 42rEro
F x: 410137
Email: mns@wwf.mos.com.np
June 199E

I

 PREFACE
The World wildlifc Fund NePal Program is pleased to present this evaluative report on rhe :rntipoaching operations that are set in Nepal's wildlife pa.ks and reserves The repo't draws on
information regu.ding onti'poaching operrtions from four wildlife Prolection areas: Royal Bardia
National Park, Royai Chitwan national Pxrk, Pnrsa Wildlife Reservc 'rnd Roy:rl Suklaphanta
Wildlife Reserve. All informalion from RBNP and RCNP cover the years from l9q2 to 1998
perlinent only
whereas information about poaching related ircidenls in Parsa afld Suklaphanta is

b

1997/98.

wWF Nepal Program has been providing financial support for all anti-poaching units in Nepal
by covering costs for vchicle maintenance' fuel, field gear and incentive packages for park staff'
Thi. ."po,i is an altempt on WWF'S part to inprove th€ oveFrll efficiency of anti- poaching
operations and it r€flects WWF's commitment to allti-poaching programs'
While Nepal has a highly successful record in the fietd of wildlife conservation, the problem of
poaching ias not abateal in the last few years. Furthermore, the problem of wildlife trafficking
order for
iras globlly accelerated due to increasing consumer demand and highcr prices ln

N.poltomaintaioitsbiodiversityandprot€ctitswildlife,itmustconstattlyevaluatetheanti
poaching and anti-trafficking operations. The operations \eill be considcred successful if they
servo as deterrents as well as punishmenls.

This report serves as a useful synopsis on thc state of anli poaching opcrations in Nepal- WWF
welcomes feedbrck from rll interestcd parties.

Mingma Norbu Sherpa
Country Representative
WWF N€pnl Progrnnr
Kathn andu, N€prl

J

 I.

INTRODUCTION

Nepal is known as ooe of the success stories in th€ field ofwildlife conseflation. There are
sixteen national parks, wildlife reserv€s and protecterd aieas within its boundari€s. The 16
different protected areas are composed of 8 national parks, 4 wildlife reserves, t hunting
reserve and 3 conservation areas all ofwhich covers about 15 7, ofNepal's total land area.

The 1973 National Park and Wildlife Consewation Act witl amendments ill 1975 and 1983
was fuiher amended in 1994 to incorporate buffer zone policy which Provides 30 to 507. of lhe
tolal pafk rcvenue for the community developm€nt in the buffer zone.
Most of these resefles and parks came into being ifl the mid seventies. Until then, they
existed as pdvate amusements for the royal familics, visiting dignitaries and tourists.
Chitwan its€lfwas exclusively managed as a hunting reserve for the Rana Prime Ministers
and their guests until 1950. In 1963, the area south of Rapli was dernarcated as a rhinoceros
sanctuary and in 1973, it became the first National Park to preserve the unique eco_systen of
the area. Bardia which is in the south-westem lowlands was odginally established as a Royal
HuDting Resefle. The area was reclassified and gazetted as Royal Bardia Wildlife Reserve
in 19?6. In 1984, it was extended to include Babd valley and later classified as the Royal
Bardia National Park. RBNP is the largest protected area in lh€ lowland Terai, and
encompasses a total area of968 sq. km.
Since 1990, Nepal has experienced increased trade in wildlife Products in sPite of strict
legislation that penalizes th€ traders and offend€rs up to Rs100,000 (US$1,500) and 15 yeals
of imprisonment, or botb. Reacting to the increased number ofpoaching i[cidents and trade
in wildlife products in the early 90s, WWF and the D€paltmer! of National Parks and
Wildlife Conservation (DNPWC) set up an institutional progJam to Prevent Poaching with
funding fiom the MacArthur Foundatio , WWF established anti-poaching units iD Roynl
Chitwan National Park and Royal Bardia National Park In 1995, WWF boosted ils ongoing
support to this program and inititted a range ofactivities with Nn additional grani of US
$60,0u0 from WwF-Netherlands.

II.
i.

THE POACHING PROBLEM

Poaching and its Causes

The intemational trade ofwildlife speci€s is just as illegal and almost as profitable as the
intemational narcotics trrde. In fact, the trfficking ofwildlife species is knorvn to bc second
only to the trafficking ofdrugs. The value of r rhino horn on the market world come up !o
US $ 30,000 and an entire tiger skeleton is priceless. On av€rage, the dealer receives
approximately US $20,000/ kg ofrhino horn and somelimes as much as US $10,000/ kg of
tiger bone.t The actual poacher usually gets to see only about 1 % ofthe fillal profit.
The majority ofwildlife species on lhe endangered list have been put there due to mankind's
self interest and on the other hand, mankind's lack ofinter€st. The entire world population
of the tiger is on a sharp decline due to Traditional Chinese Medicine which holds lhat tiger
parts ranging from whiskers all the way to testes can heal anything from manic depression to
impotence.' The rhino has been hunt€d for years for the supposed aphrodisiac qualities
wiihin its horn and for the staius given to Middle Eastern men when they carry "jambijjas",

Il,rgh"d1. lohn. -Ar
m(J. D,ngcrou. and on J n Elcphrn' . thc Lrprc* April
wwl: tnJ,a I igej Cun{^Jlion rnd Slruregy, Jult lqo6

lj.

loor.

 ccfcm0rlill drg-qcrs lnlldc ofrllino hornr. Mosl lcli es, cruincs.lupincs and rcptilcs rrc now
clldiinsercd d c 1o lhc usc of tbcir f rs trld skiDs ils litshion irccessories. In sltorl. onc ol Lhc
biggcs hrcrls to wildlilc spccics is that ol rn.rnkird s lttitudc oi sclf iulcrcsl lnd scli
scfvicc lorvlfds Nllurc-

Iish blown ouf of river bv

Poachers.

RBNI'

Or rhc othcr hand, thc l ck ofinlefcst doll'nslfried by tnost ol thc poorer peoplc sho simply
try to livc dily to day has also been dotriftcoul lbr wildliic populittions Tbc average poxch.rr
in Nepal is a local vilirrgef who carr)s mitny linlcs morc thiln a yc.lf s irrcomc liom tbo vicld
ol ono poachi0g incideDt- llc has litlle undcrstanding of thc lont! tcrm implicaLioDs of
dccfcNe in wildlifc popolations- Thc solution to thc problcms of povcnt lhat he nnd h,"
lanily lace is right acrr)ss lhc lincc; insidc thc boLtndaries of a rvilcllifi reserve or nrtional
park. ln nrany cases. lhc villtgers livo on a bare subsislcDcc lcvel and look to lhe rcseNc or
pirrk for addilional inconc by girthefing focldsr lor theif nrimals or harvesting lrrriL)
(asprragus) lnd ol coursc, by poaching.

I'i)rcher tritb gl.lrndchildrcD nrrtsted rrt

'\\Wl:. ll)\i

ni r

Slrtr ir.trl lLt (

lllr!

',r ll)1tr0. lL)9r

I ll

IillNI'

 Il is this tmgic colnl)inr(iou oi foYertlr. Lirck ol cdtrcrrtion ln(l lhc demIlnd oriclltcd
i rcrnrli{)rirl nrlrkcl thirt lcnds to the prohiorn ol poncbmg in \!ildlit! sruduirriss. ollcn,
porching is pcrccived ils in isohl.d irrcidonL. Iu clualill_, lllcrc is rn irllricrlc rclLllimshil
involving nirltllcnrc , rvildlilc procluct delllcrs. lmdcrs urd lir)irlly tbs corrsunrcrs. lhc
trrdcrs rn(l dcnlcrs lcmpL locrl \'illlltcIs $ith Lugc sunrs of nllnley lbt lhe crlrcilss ol n liser
or rhiDo. ]'hfsc polchcrs oll.n ho.rrd wil(llile poducts like ligcr bonts rtnd drino horns li)r rr
couple1)l )cilrssolhlLthc] rrcuol(lelcclcd inrmcdiliel! by thc anti -polcbirrg uDils. IJnril
thcre is r Drilior chrllsc irr thc lltitudc ofthc consunlcr. po chilr!:iln(l tt,rl{icking ol wildlile
will xlwrys bc r Lrrgc lhreitl to cnd Dgcrcd \\'ildlitc slccics.

ii.

Poaching N{rthods

oi p(Jllchtrs conrc lrol locrl cthric colnnrunilics lhcparklndLcscrvcr*rrtls
show thal thc usurl sizc ol a plraching p.rrl!' is linrilcd t(r trvo or thrcc il tlto) llirr) lo shoot
lhcir nrcy. I lo$,cver, tbc r)00rbers are incrcilscd tt) fivc or si\ if lhcy wish to snilrc ,r I hirr,,
sincc thrl usuirlly rcquircs pil digging. l'bcrc arc scveral othcr Dlclhods uscd 1o liill lht
rhinoceros. In thc caso 01 pils. a rcctruguhr Pil is d g drring lhc riighl in the oriddtc ol rr
prrtb that lhc rhioo is krn)lvn to usc. Po cbcrs :rlso usc pois(nr by placing it or) ntilizc irn(l
punpkin pltches that arc visited reg larly by the rhinoceros. A lcss corntrcn elhod is thrl
of sLspcndiDg wire nooses aDd hclvy sPcirrs dr lr.:cs Aunnnttticrillesrrcrlsouscdtrrrri\nL'r
conl on in thc clsc ol lho rhiroccros.

'I hc nrrior ily

Poachirg rocofds sbow thal lhc pfirrc largct lbr the polchers is thc or)c-honrcd drinoc{jros
followed by thc spottcd decr, wild bo.rr and then thc ligcr. Whilc tbe rhinocoros rd the hgcr
arc killed for thc valLrc ol their horrl and borres, tbc dcer artd thc bortrs scr'/o lo provjde rncat
li) lhc local pcoplc.

O e-ho rlod Rhino settr in It(lNI'
ll)rcbing rclivilics lrc kuoivr! Lo in(rcirsc rltrring ri gtrl t)ct!\ccn rrrli lolching ofcrrlrr)rr\ or
drLring r linrt \htr Iror'l irnti-pl)rtchi gstlllgoo lrl\c. Acco i g lt) thc prrk Iccords ll
rrrrl ol 11 polching iucidcnls in ( hi1lvall (luring lllo linrc pcll(xlbctwcell 1()91arxl 19()6
occLrrled bcr \ccll.lLrlr ilnrl OclobeL rvbich is thr morrr.oorr 0dfit)tl li)llo\\'c(l l)-v thc l)lsrin

 lrrost ol porchcrs nd dclllcrs ir wildlili spccics and their prrrl. Sincc lbg outscl of tbc .rutr
1)olrhins sysleur. WWIi hils provided linxncill sLrppo ti)r \'chiclc m iDteDil lcc. lLrel. ficld
gciu rnd inccntivr prckagc:j lit lhc Pxrli slufl.

'lhc rnti-porchirg unil irr lhc

Suklirphirntir Wil(llitt ltcscrvc is lchrirllt l'lig.r
Pr()lcctir)n tJnil \\'hich scrvcs to conlfol ti.sdt poirchiug itctivilics ilnd to i1llpro\o thc l1o!\ ol
iDsidc inli)nrrlr(D. The ligcr llrotcction ulrit is Du(lo uf ol l0 pcrsons which includcs {hc
inlonnanL. lhc ruti-poaching mcibods in I{SWII rcly m{)sll! on tbe inLinmlnts who
conslirntlr survcv tlls villl!:es ftliirccnt 1o tbc ligcf hilbililts rnd rcLr! up(LrLc(l inlbDnitrion Lo
thf AI'U. ltSWIt sulp(nls ovcf :l(J lioyrl Bcogrl l isers. bclpcd L)! tho licl lhirl lhc l{cscrvc
ronlrins tbc iru.sest hcr(l ofS\\'alnl Dccr ir thc worl(1.

lto!ll

Tigcr-skin nnd tiger-bones captrrre.l by AI'LI

WWF iDitiirtcd two Anli I'o.rching Units in Pirrsl Wildliti ltcscrvc cnrll this ycrr (.l.rDurry
1(.)9lJ) in order lo dclcr porcbing of nirrals lDd thc smuggling ol timbcr. PWIt is quilc ricl)
ir) vs-getrrlion with n wirlc variety ol dil1ifful trcc lpccics and i! also lrorlrc lo lhc Asiitlrc
Iilcphirnt. thc li-gcf, the Ilcrr. (innnr(nr Lcoprr( , Illuc Brll, li)L[ hornod Anlclopc tl rd Ihc
IDdirn Pyrhon. Iirrlhcrnorc, lIu lteservc is irttachcd to Royal (lhitwrn Nrtionrl Prrk in lhc
\!csl which aliows firr tho intcf-bordcr migr.rti( oi thc lthinocfro\. Ilrc Anli I'olching tJnit
\\orks closclv with thc IrroLccri(n) Unil ol lhc Aflry. When thc Al'U iirds oL( rnv co'rcn
inlonnrlion rcgrrdiDg poaching or tuliicking plrns or whcn tb.y sighl somcthing susprox)us.
Lbcy inlinll tho l'rotcclio]l Unit. Ilowe\or. dut to thc vruious ri!ers an(lslrljlrrr! ljtnn thc
( hure llill\.lhe porchcrs rre rbl! Lo usc rnfrrrliclirblo escapr roulos irl lrjght.

Al ffcscnl. WWlrsufp(nts 11,,\Ptls;2 in I' rsl lvil(llilf l(cscrvt.I in lto!rl (hilwnrr
NrliorLrl Irrrk. IiIllo)rl Ii,dirNrtionrl I',rk.i ligtr Protc(tiur Unitinlioy,'l
Suklirt)llirirLI Wil(llile ltc\enc. I in Nrw lpllmsi l)islIrcl lnd I irr (lhitwut Ili:Lricl. Ihc lntlcr
l\,/o Al'jlJs lre rrn b\'1)islrict Forcst Ollicer,.
l{elc! rn1 Aulhorilics

 Koshi Trppu

wil,llih R.\.^e

025-21.r81i

S,n8h, Jugdnncth

053-202,16

Pa6a Wildlife Resrvc

Royd Aardiya wildlifc ReseNe

Shrcnhd, Pudn Bha\h

084-291\2

Roval Chitwan Nrlional Part

Upadhyay. Gopal Pnsad

05o- 21932

RotJl SukhphJntr WiJlifc R<rrrve

ThrEdnnr, She6ing

099-?1321

lTabt€ No. 2l

iv.

Nl€thods

ofAntiPorching Units

According to the DNPWC,
factors:

a successful anti_poaching

operation is made up of these integral

Information Cathcring
Since poaching rarely occurs without the help of local villagen who are familiar with
the natio[al parks and wi]dlife reserves, it is imperative that the anli_poaching uDit
include incentives for informants. The informants work in the villages surrounding the
park or reserve and supply the APU with the information tha! they have uncovered
which allows the A?U to surprisc the poachers or dealers and trade$. This process has
proved to be very cost effective.
Patrolling

While the presencc of an APU often serves to deter a Poaching group in remote arcas.
patrolling also ofteo allows the APU to reach the scene ofcrime quickly.
Coordination
Sincc the park staff are not armcd, it is necessary that an APU include armed
protectior. Coordination with Royal Nepal Army stationed as p.otectiol units inside
the protected areas, police and the Districi foresl office is a must Furlhermor., the
dealers and the tnders operate mostly outsidg the plotected areas where the APU musl
work along wilh the police and the District forest office.
Legal Procedure
After all necessrry investigations are conducted, the offenders must go through the
l€gal procedure until the verdict is pronounced A poacher can be sentenced 5 to 15
years imprisooment by the Department ofNational Parks.
Reward and Punishmeot
The combinalion of providing inceDtives for villagers to reveal informalion and
punishing those who afe invoived in poaching and other illegal activities has turned out
to be effeclive. Awards like the Abraham Conservation Award which is maintained by
the WWF Nep.rt Program have served to boo$t the morale of the liont-line park
officials who otten risk their lives in their line ofduiy
Awareness Program

In most cases, the local community lacks environmental educ.rtion and has little sense
of responsibjlity towards the wildlife in the nearby park or reserve. Developing

 ttt quN,ITITATIYEINIOR]IATIOII
i. Stmcfure ofAnti-Poaching Units
Structure of Anti-Poaching Units

RCNP

RI'NP

APU 1(Madi)

I
I

3

APU 5 (tikauli)

APU 2

I

I

5

I
APU 6 ( Kawasoti)

APU 3

I

5

4

t
J!r/9E

RSWR
RCNP APU I (Knagendra Mrll)
5
Elephant Statf

l

2
2

PWR AtU

1

(Adha Bd Unit)
5

0lephant Sraff
3
Elephant Stl1l

2
2

{PU

2 (Pr:rrapd

Ehphanr

iwU

3

(Pipnhat
3

Elephanl

Sl!It

Bote
LTJhi. Nn.3l

1u

Slar

Un()

 awarencss programs that the local villageni cdn r€late to aod learn from are necessary

tor long'erm conservrliun of wildlife .pecies.

.

Reporting
Tl() final goal of an anti-poaching operation is to inform :rnd educate the public
regarding the present sta(us ofthe wildlife species and lhe poaching aclivities thr! hlve
occurred. Reporting on anti-poaching activities is as importtnt as thc rnti_poaching
operation itself. Reporting reveals lhe trends in poaching and other relatcd illegal
dealings.

 ii.

Prst Poaching Incidents
Poaching Incidences (1992 - June1998)r

Dare

2r.6.92
14.12.92

RCNP

AncsrcLl $ith til{erboncr
Enoun tor wi th ,med groups

RBNP
RBNP
RBNP

t5.t2.92
29.12_92

oulsid€

4.1.93
7.1.93

NI

RBNP
RCNP
RCNP

7.1_93

11.1.93

Dead

ftino

seen (horn rcmoved)

RBNP
RBNP
RBNP

Gu$i
Knairbluddi

24.1.93
23.2.93
11.1.93
7.4.93

RDNP
RBNP
RBNP
RBNP

Idmali

5.5.93

Encounrer with amed grouP

Gurhi
Gnrhi

7.5.93

Enmunter with arded 8!oup

Gurhi

7.5.93
6.6.93
8.6.93
21.6.93
23.7.93

Dcad rhino seen (hom.enoved)
Enc$unlet wilh armed gioup

ourside NP
Gurhi

10_11.91

Dead rhino scen

11,,4.93

1gun,8 bullcis

RBNP
RBNP
RBNP
RBNP

Chitllay!

RCNP

Fincd Rs. 50{i

RCNP

Allempled porching of rhino

RBNP

(hon & n.ils

24.u.93

RBNP

10.12.91

ACNP

24.t2.9]

RBNP

30.12.93
1.5.94
9.6.94
2.8.94

E.counler w'th arncd gtouPs
Encounrerwith srmcd grouPs
Enountcr ivith arned groups

t2.4.94

EncounlEr wirh

1,1.11.9,1

Encounterwilh aided srcuPs

23.8.94
5.11.94
25.12.91
r0.2.95
25.1.95

rmeJ

grcdPs

Encounler with armed ArouPs

Kilinala

Glrha

RBN?
RBNP
RBNP
RCNP

I

RtsNP

dead Chiral

RRNP

RBNP
RBNP

Cuthi

EnLounre! wrlh Jrmcd JiroupJ

olrhino hom

RCNP

Poss€ssion of tiscr bones

RCNP

Possossiod
Possossion

RCNI

oftisct & leoprrd skin

RBNP

tL4.95
12.5.95

RCN}

Possessioi of dino hom

RBNT

l6_5.95

RBNP

5.9_95

Encountcr w(h dmed sroDPs
Encounlcr with xrded 8!ouP

19.10.95

Po$cisiun Dt tircr buncs

RCNP

Lll.95

Po\*ssion ottiqcr bones

RCXP

r All in fomarnrn

rcgrrd

ilg

Gtrrhi

1gun,2l bullcts

Pa^d Wildlile Reservc and sukldphrnta Wildl ifc Rcserve is pcd incDI

aid 1998.

ll

RtsNP

on

lv io 1997

 Khairbhdddi

24.11.95

lgun,2l

bullels

RtsNP

r0.12_95

?oskssion oftiser skin

RCr\.,P

15.12.95

Possissbn ofrhino hom
I rcunds ofgunshots heard. SaDba.
drv Deai seized at the sDot

RCNP
RBNP

20.2.96

chitalfo0d

22.2.96
21.2.96

Onc

17.3.96

3 Do.che6

dead

h

Poachcrdptured with

RBNP
RBNP

truD

l caughl,5

12 tow chains

scn with arns

RBNP
RBNP

Khair Bhaddi

1.4.96

extmflo^ cdptured

RBNP

One mahljal (large fishing net 110m

RBNP

,2

28.4.96

honey

long 7-3m wide), 1 fishnlg net,5
fishingropes and I boat conusoted

RBNP
RBNP

3.5_96
3.5_96

8 honcy extiactos cxPturcd

11.5.96
27.5.96

I

Dolcher croturcd with

fshinsnet

RBNP
RANP

1.6.94)

RBN?

4.6.96

RAN?

13.6-96

RCNP

Altenpted poaching oI rbido
lPoison placed on co.ncobl

28.6.96

Khascndra Malli

RO]?

Attedpied poacbing olrbino
tO

{Poison bait discovercdl

:,1.96

5 local womcn wnh 6 baby wild borrs

Bhu,iedtn

RONAST

IOT

RBNP
RBNP

5.7.96

12livcsloct ar.zinq werc rorndcd up

5.',1.96

2 persons spolred

13.7.96

Poses,on ot125 kg liger bonts

RCNP

t9.7.96

T livcslock sruzinawe.e rounded uP
Trying to sellrhino hoovcs

RtsNP
RCNP

7.96

RBNP

fishing

VDC Chitwan
8.8.96
9.3.96
12.3.96

Chil.hya

RBNP
RBNP
RBNP

Selen Doachcis wilh surs secn
Encountc! with armedgroup - one
poacher, Prem Bahadur Buda killed,

one,Rrbil.lPuri iniuted
RBNP
RBNP
RBNP

Footprints of Pach€is ecn
5.9.96

10.9.96
t0_9.96

of 15 kg liScr bones
Ghshols hea.d and sanrbrr skin

Posscssion

rinbcrfon

RtsNP
RCNP
RBi\iP

NP

RBNP

Onc wild borr killed in road ac.ident

RBNP

Porcher caughi wirh
20.9.96

DrhJlhJniE

12

 2027.9.96

RBNP

One rhinoce.os enycd oul ofBabai
valley and rcros Indian border

14. 10.96
16.10.96
20_l0.9rt

Smokc fton poachels crmp deteded

RBNP
RBNP
RBNP

27.tO.96

Po$css'on otpoison inteDded to bc

RCI,{P

Footprinls of poachc.s spotled

used to

?.11.96

killwild !nimal
RBNP
RBNP
RBNP

Fool pinl5 ofporcheB lpotred

t8-11.96
Dalla forest (Butfer

28.11.96

zore)
Gola

l7_t?.96

Deld Nilgailbund

24_t2.96

Ore oohancd Chital babyu was found

The Nilgaibore

RBNP

RBN?

26.t2.96
10.6.97
2r.6_9',7

25.6.97

\2.7.91

RBNP

Kanal Bagate was arested lor killing
One

RCNP
RCN?

peren, Rrj kudar Shrestha was

cauehl while cDuine simal timbcr
Bir Bahadui tjna from was caught
while cutlioS a Saal lree
6kg oftigelbonc, rigerskin and 2

Gil.nagar5

RCNP
RCNP

Gilanagar

Inelia Ghol, Madi

RCNP

Blwn.

Srnundra Bahadur, Raju Bote adestcd
for Doisonins and killinq a liaer

Btwn.

6 persons trom AAuali arested on

RCNP

14.IJ. 97

RCNP

1S.9_97

3 poachcs caught w/ 53 fi- long nof,
tow chain foi rhir,ocerosRhino caicas found with valuatle

18.r0.97

linbcr

24_tO.9l

3 peBons Iound wilh 14 k8 of500g of

RCNP

smugsle6 caught - one killcd,

RCNP
6

PWR

4.t2.97

sevei Mcks or canja (mdijuana)

27.t2.91

A.?U codfisalcd 2 Euns from poachets

17_1.98

2 peisons

a deer

RC\IP

31.1.98

Pdampur APU found tieci carcrss

RC]NP

9.2.98

Man Bah.dlr Mrgarwts arcstcd wrrh
one adult lcopard skin and one babY

RCNP

rrcstcd fln killiitg

Rhino shor dead by poachers

Chilva.

RCNP

1998
16.3.9S

6 persons aresled

RCNP

cltlirrg timbet
No3

RCNP

sun. olPtl'

r'drprd.r,s rtpdt lTrblc N,' rl

 iii.

Decisions

Anti-Poaching Unit Revi€w

Meeting

se

18 March 1998

effectiv€ly in controlling poaching of wildlife, the
organizations concerned decided to review the APU program early this yefi. A meeting was
h€ld regarding lhe APU program, its reporting and communication system and the incentives
and sxlary scales that wouid make APU operalions more effective. In this respect, DNPWC
hosted a .eview meeting on March 18, 1998.rt the office ofthe Director General, Dr. U. R.

While APU activities

have

ed

Sharma..

Participants in Review Meeting

F undine OrBanization

Bhuiu, Ukesh
ChapaSain.

Di*akar

McDoug.l. Chans
Pandey, Surya Bahadlr
Sharma. Uday R. Dr.
Shrcstha. Puran

CITES Unil

DNPWC
DNPWC

Fundorp Oryani.arioa
APU Field Aclivitics C@rdi.aioi
D.G.

TINC

Bhakl!

Fu

ireOrcanizdt^'n

DNPWC
DNPWC
RBNP

KMTNC
RCNP

Upadhyay. Gopal ?rasld
ITable No.5j

A proposed strategy for anti-poaching units was sllbmilt€d by Mr. Suryi Bahadur Pandey and
Mr. Ukesh Bhuju following the meeting held with Dr. Uday Raj Sharma, DNPWC on March
18, 1998.

Draft Policy ofAnti-Poaching

Units

26th March. 1998

1.

Depute regular strfito APU activities for full time. lheir flame, title must bc provided lo
the Director General. Those staff should not be lransferred frcquenlly or should not be
given exira develoPment and maintenance works.

2.

Pick up as much as Game Scouts who arc interested to work in APU. If Game Scouts are
not enough then recruit local mernbcrs up to two for one APU te:rm.

3.

One APU team should incorporalc the eltire workforce of the post. As every ooe in the
post will reccive incentive, working spiril will be bolter than the existing system.

4.

Rccruit local members, informers and boles as per need (up to two for one APU) their
names and addresses must be provided to the D.C. so that DNPWC can monitor thcir
performance,

5.

APU activilies, the Chief Warden willallocate elephants up to
two elephants for ore APU team and their name and location must provide to the D.G

6-

The chief Warden, assistant wardens and supervisors must visit each APU teirm
ftequently and provide necessary advice for effective Performance-

If eiephants

aro needed for

 7.

Royal Chitwan Nationai Park, Royal Suklaphanta Wildlife Reserve will have two field
supervisors and one Head Quarter's coordinalor, Parsa Wildlife Reserve will have one
supervisor. Those supervisos are responsible to conduct APU operations in and around
parks and reserves areas, specially conduc! investigations, preparing monthly rcports.
coordinate with other organizations and arrest poachels.

u.

When any APU staff is in home leave for more than a week, he will not receive
incentive/ money. If anyone is laking more than a week long leave, the supervisor must
replace him by another staff. These alternations must be clearly written in the monthly
reports.
Recruitment of informers:
For RCNP informers will be a total of4, two for RCNP (one for eastern sector
ald one for westem s€ctor), one for Chilwan Distdct Forest Office and one for
Nawalparasi District Forest Office.
F'or PWR informers will be a total of2, one for the South sector and one for the

.
.

s€ctor (informer who will work for the North sector will provide
information to PWR APU and Makwanpur District APU).
For RSWR informer will be 2, one for Hidpur/ Champapur sector and one for
Suklaphanta/ B€ldadi Sector.
One additionAl informerwill be recruited for RCNP, if KMTNC supports rhc
mobile APU for the buffer zone area ofSaumha.

Nolh

.
.
10.

APU organizalion and operation syslem ofRoyal Bardia National Park seems

sltisfactory and incentive rates will be revised there also based on the standardized
rales,

t1.

New inccntivc rates have b€en preparedjoinlly by lhe DNPWC and WWF. This
incentive policy will bo in effect  s soon as it is approvcd by the Direclor General
ihe DNPWC and the WWF CR.

i5

of

 III. ANAIYSIS
i.

Repo.t

The people constituting Anti-Porching Units are grass-root level, low paid sttff with few
benefits and a high risk factor. Most of them fbrm the protection force in lhe frontier of the
parks, peforming ulder risky and dangerous conditions. Especially since they themselves
are unarmed, their courage should be noted while chasing armed poachers, patrolling at night
llnd working undercover among smugglers and traffickers. Their s€rvice for the public and
for the protection ofwildlife is seldom noticed and they are given few incentives.

Thc local infbrmants, also rarely recognized publicly for their performance play u vital rolc
in antipoaching operations. Often, the informants infilhate poaching groups by asking
around about easy ways to kill animals and srfe ways to escape undetected from the park.
Most locals are afiaid ofproviding informitiol about poachers since they fear reprisals and
are unawaie ofthe reward given for iniormation that will lead to lhe capture ofpoachers.
Unforlunately, remuneration is not oifered to the informants on a regular basis,
The APU staffusually receives a regular salary of Rs.2,000 per month which is of
subsistence level, Since incentiv€s and compensations are not included in the Governmeot
budget, the APU members do not get adequate ilcentives. The Senior Game Scout at RCNP,
did not receive full reimbursem€nt lor his medicd bills which came up to Rs. 20,000 from
his office. He was attacked by a sloth bear while patrolling the park in April 1997. All
members should be guaranteed monetary incentives on top of their regular incellives for
high-risk encounters, medical expenses for any accidents, compensation for lhcir flrmiliiis in
case offatal accidents, field gear, cash awards for excePtional Performarces and should be
publicly recognized for tbeir work.
Anti-poaching units hav€ been quite successful in localing poachers but have not been as
successful in capturing them- While most encounters between the poachers and the APUS
result in the confiscation ofweapons, the poachers themselves are seldom apprehend€d.
l-ooking at the numbers ofencounteE reported in Bardia and Chitwan since 1993, Poachers
escape more than halfof the time lapproximalely,60Tr]. There are many apparent reasons
for this high number:

Low Manpower
An av€rage APU covers a range of a 5 kilometer radius which is quitc inrdcqu.rtc
considering that Chitwan Park itseif is almost 100 kilometers wide. Unlike Chitwan
which has 7 separate Anti-poaching units, mosl oiher protected areas have one or
two. Due to therr low numbers, the A?Us do not palrol at night unless there is
reliable evidence and information pointing lo a poaching oPerrtion. The low numbeft
mrn-powering anti-poaching systems rre the biggest probl€m facing the APUS. Due
to this, an additional APU was formed in the Trmaspur ar€a of Chitwan Park in
Janu:rry of 1993. More manpower is required in all parks to deter poaching and
det€ct the individuals involved in the illegrl trrde of the endargered species aDd their
parts.

Lack of Resources

While WWF provides support to anti-poaching operations by paying for the lield
gcNr and vehicle maint€nance, mosl APUS still requirc a iot more fin:lncial aid. APU
scouts are limited due to thc l^ck of communicalion sets and field gear for overnight

t6

 patrolling. While government budget covers the basic salary for scouts, it does not
cover emergency operations that necessitate vehicles, long distance commudcation
and local informants.
Geographic hndscape
In many cases, the APUS hear the sounds ofgunfire or detect smoke rising but find
Ihat the poachers have already made their getaway by the time they get thete. The
park areas are sometimes so remote that the APUS do not have easy access to them.
Otlen, the poachers are able to make their escape after being detected during the timc

period required for the APU to reach them.
Poaching Coordination

Most poachers work in groups ready to splii up whe[ escaping which belps to
confuse the APUS. They also work fully armed irnd run under the cover ot open fire
when caught by the APUS. In many cases, the poachers work at night which ensures
cover from the APU du€ to low visibility. Often, the Poacher will have heard the
vehicle or seen the headlighls and will h.lve long made his getaway by the time the
APU gets there. In Bardia, the poachers seem to focus on ar€as that have the highcst
concentration ofrhino and tiger populatiolrs which is the Babai Valley and the
Karnali flood plains. They tend to tNrget ihe rhinoceros due to the increascd price
rhino homs in the market. They often merely remove the hom and leave the less
valuable skin and nails.

.

.

of

Climate/ Wealher
During the Monsoon seasons, the lakes and rivers rise considerably and preveni
accessibility to the other side. Fish poachers find it easy to escape during these
months. The rain helps to obstruct visibility and slows down a1l opcrations. Flooding
is a big problem in Bardia since it severely limits APU mobility. Since most
porchers escape during this period, it is impossible to locate tbe lrrca they belong to.
However, capturcd record shows thal people from Surkhet, Chisapani and Taratal are
involved in most of the poaching incidcnces
Local Assistance
In many cases, the poachers are aided by or themsclves Nre locals who live in
villages adjacent or adjoiniig the protected area. Tbis not only gives them

familiarity ofthe geography within th€ park, it also gives them close and ncrrby
hideouts, reducing their chances of getting carlght.
On the whole, Anti-poaching Unils are indispcnsable fot tbe protection ofwildlife specics in
proteclcd arels. They not only create a deterrent by simply patrolli[g the arcas but they atso
directly involve themselves by engaging in encounters with lrmed poachers. Often, they are
ablc to uncover information leading to pcople who masler-mind the poaching and tmfficking
operations.

ii.

Recommendations

Sincc the major problem for anli-po:lching operations involve the inability to cover ail of the
prolected are.r, il is necessary to increase the number ofAPU slalf. Investing in vehicles thrt
will allow ior more effective mobility can tum out io be quite cost_€ffective. Mobile
communicalion sets are necessary to improve the over-all effectiveness of the APUS,
especially in remote arcas like Bardia and Pa[.sa. They will helP carry out oporitions rapidly
and will also provide easy communication with headqurlors wben in need of extra

 assistance. Since most park have insufficient communicttion modes, the funds so tar
collected from the fines, punishments and confiscation should be ulilized for the overall
efficiency of anti-poaching operations.
One of the largest probiems facing the APUS is tha! their jurisdiction is confined within the
protected area borders and they are unable to pursue poachers. An APU is required whose
components include the ChiefWarden, Distdcl Forest Otficer and regular game scouts since
such an APU would have provision of law enforcement outside the protected areas. It has
also been repofied that wildlife species are often killed directly across the border from
Chitwan, in India. Fu hermore, a large number of wildlife items like tiger skin and rhino
hom are smuggled through the intemational border between Nepal and India. These
situations necessitate verbal communicatiol between government officials from both sidcs in
order to prevent illegal porching and trade.

oflhe prioriiies for lhe offices ought

to be lhe coverage of medical bills, compensatiuns
general
insurance
for
the APU staffmembers. Since anti-poaching
for fatal injuries and
operations are dependent on the tip-offs extracted by informants, it is necessary thal they
receive adequate pay and that they are recognized for their work. In many cases, local
poachers and traffickers would never be caught ifnot for the work ofinformantsFurthermore, the reward and punishment system needs to be publicized so thal the locd
villagers are aware of the rewards for the information leading to lhe capturc ofpoachers rnd

One

traffickers.
The reward and punishment syslem should be bolstered with an education program system so
that the local villag€rs are given to understand the results of poaching and tmfficking of
wildlife species. If incentives are offered to lhe local villages in the form of electricity or
medical supplies with some ofthe money collected from 6nes atrd confiscation, it might help
diffuse some of their resentment for not b€ing allowed to use Park or Reserve resources. lt
might aiso encourage them to naturally prolect wildlife in the protected areas since they will
have an ecoflomic in{erest in the preservatioo ofwildlift species.

Along with awareness programs for the local people, total deterrence from poaching and
tralficking require that anti-poaching operations include similar awareness and education
packages for consumers. A public awareness campaign is required to educate the general
public who are quitc ignorant ofconservation policies, wildlife data and thc harmful effecls
of buying wildlife products.
As has been mentioned before, antlpoaching operations ought to be a continuos process that
cxtcnds 1o thc long term treatment of the reasons for poaching and dealiog ofwildlife specres
and parts. Anli-poaching opcrations will be more effective if they deal wilh lhe actual causcs
for poaching and traffickiflg as opposed to lrying to stem the results. As long as traffickiIlg of
wildlife species alld parls is more profitable lhat doing honest work,loc:ll villagers will assist
poachers. Furthermore, as long as lhe consumer demand does not drop ldue to education and
awareness buildup], the dealers and traders will always post huge sums ofrnoney as rewad
for wildlife parts.

Tbis report has focused primarily on the impact ofanti-porching measures on poaching and
dealing ofwitdlife species from national parks and wildlife rescwes. Howevef, it must bc
poilted out that un]ess there are long term projects focusing on environmontal education for
the local people and the linlemrtional] consumers, the Problem of poaching and dealing of
wildlife will not disappear. Furthermore, as long as the majorily oflocal villagcrs livc undcr

t8

 the conditions of subsistence -lovcl poverly, APUS

poaching in wildlife protected ardts.

will not

bc

sufficicnt against the tide of

 V. ANNEX

i.

Wildlife Couservation Organizations in Nepal

Dept. of
Forestsi

The Department of Forests has district offices all over the counlry, and is
responsible for the protection of all wildlife species outside the demarcaled
protection areas. The department h;Ls complete legal authority to handle cases
dealing with forest and wildlife islues. The diskict offices have collaborated
with RCNP antlpoaching opntions lo work in Chihvan, Nawalparasi and
Makawanpur districls.

DNPWC:

The Departmenl of National Parks and Wildlife was iNtiiuled in 1981 as the
legal authority to look over the 13 separate protected park and reserves. In
1988, DNPWC introduced anti-poaching units in Bardia and Chitwan with Ihc
help ftom WWF Nepal Program and ITNC. DNPWC has also been manrging
the Convention on Intemational Trade iD Endanaer€d SDecies of Wild Fauna and
Flora (CITES) for all of Nepal since 1975.

ITNC:

Intemational Trust for Nature Conserv ion (ITNC) p.ovided some of ihe
financial support for the first anii-poaching unit in Bardia and Chitwan. It has
worked or several other coflservation programs, providing financial support for
the rewards system ir Chitwan. ITNC is involved specifically on tiger
monitoring and tiger surveys along with KMTNC in Chitwan.

KMTNC:

King Mahendra Trust for Nalure Conservation (KMTNC) is non-govemm€nt
and non-profit organization that focuses on rcsearch in wildlife management and
the devclopment ofhuman rcsources. KMTNC funds NCRTC which is based in
Sauraha, Chitwan. NCRTC'S major activiti€s focus on scientific research and
monitoring, training progr3ms and suslainrble developmenl programs. One of
lhe projects that NCRTC runs has to do wiih moniloring 38 rhinoceros in Bardia
which were translocated from Chitwan.

NEFEJ:

The Nepal Forum for EnviroomeDtal Journalists is a non-profit llon-govemmcnt
organization formed by environmcntal joumalists in 1986. NEFEI seeks to
educate the public on contemporary eoviroome[tal issues through thc r]sc oI
multi-media. It also tnes to reach Nnd mobilize the various cnvironment Elat€d
departmenls and orgrnizatioN working in Nepal. NEFEJ has sevefal watch
gloups, sp€cifically the Wildliie Watch Group wbich has conducted several
workshops and irternctive progrdms de,lling with thc prolcclion of wildlife
species in Nepal. WWC also issues wildlife reports to the media and has
produced documentary films lik€ the 1994 Rhino Census.

wwF:

WWF began working to save endangered species like the Greatef One-homed
Rhino in Nepal in 1967. Il opened fte WwF Nepal Program Office in
Kathmandu in 1993 since which it ha.\ funded ail anti-poacbing operaliods in th€
protcctcd areas of Nepal. WWF also provides financial support for WWG ard
many other field rction r€search programs.

20

 ii.

Arnds

'l he i\bnrh:rnr

''h,r.\bnrhirnr(i)Ilscr\ltiorA\i d\!irssotufin l()1)5"ithtbfsLrpportol WWIi ( Sln)lftl
nronrbcr. Nlnc) Abrirhlnr. Ihc,\\\irftlisrnrrlrcnrfr to::i!crecogniliouloqrirssr(x)ls
\rnl,crs n'ho hrve sclllc\!l! corrrIlritr(lLh.nrs.l\cs t() lh. co \cr!irtion ot $ ildlilr sp!cic: iI
Nfl);rl lhr$i0ncrsoflhe,\NuLrl rcccivtlpurscol I{s 10.(10(lir (l ircfrtilirll. outliI !
thcir oulslunli g contr ibLrLion to nrlurc conscr\,rr ir)r in Ncl)iLl.

1//'

I{fcitl.rls i)i Llre lr)93 Abr:throt Conscfvalion Awr.d Nitll
Jinr I-crpc. WWIr tlS. NA.N.1.1.liwrri. S.!r.trry. NIol,S('
rnd Nlingnrr N. Shcrpr. lVlvl: N.frl

I{cfjtirnls ol thr .t\brrhr!!r /\wr

Nlr lhr.

Srsh

l

R(

L

\t'

t{( Nl
R(:..U'

Ui lrrnrrl. ( l)tL liLlILLtri
IIi lirilrr.L Il.!i l'rr'tl

RJNI
I nrrrnrr'tr rrL ( .L ir ) l,)
(,fr\rr..rr ,,,
'\r L I iL\\

RI]N'
Il, (

'

rL., I

LrJii!ll
liLLLrL lLrr
L,

ll I) LL rL
Nl (l!rtrL r r!',1

Lr

i),

ll

!Nf
Nl'

.

iirL ir,l :.i l',)

ILL

r!L ( i!LL ,)

 Mi. Shr€srha. Dil Bahadlr
Mr. Shrcsthn. Krishna
Mr. Shrestha, Nanda Rad

r996
1996

Chiiwan Dist.icl Forcst OiTicc
NEFEJ

1996

DSP

7997

Ms. Curung, Jagan Suba
Mr. Guruns. Saknli
Mr. Kumal. SulGm

Sedior'Wildlile Technic'an

Mr. Lama, Bishnu Banadur

Chie(

Seniot

Wildlit! Technician
wildlife Technicirn

t997
t997

West NeDalAdv€nluE

t997

Long Tem Tigcr Monitodng
Piojet, RCNP
NCRTC, Chitwln

1991

Ahldrdre, Trmlgi VDC. Kisl'i

1997

DFO Bhaktapur
DFO CniLwxn

DeveloDment Olsanization

Mr. Nepal, Sanlosh Mani
Mr. Neupane, Nanyln

Assistanl Forcll Guard

1997

Mr. Rai, hxman
Mr. Thrpa, Panesh Kunar

1997

RCNP

Ranger

1,997

RBNP

199E

Woden In Environnront
ITNC

199E

Mr. Curune. Bhin

M!. hma,

bl

199ri

Bahaddr

Mr. Lama, Man Bahrdnr
Mr. Pandcymagar, Gobinda

Chief Wildlife Technician

1996

Bardir Cor$rvation PDeram

1998

RBNP

lrable No. 6l

22

 Rsferences:

Bhatla. S.R., RBNP. 1995. Poaching ond Anti'poaching activities inRofal Bardia
National Pork (1992-14)5). Bardia, Nepal
DNPWC, HMG,,Nepal and WWF Nepal Program . 199'1 . Anti'Poaching activities in
Rolal Bardia National Par,t- Kathmandu, Nepal.
DNPWC, HMG,A{epal and WWF Nepal Program . 7997 . Anti-Poaching activities in
Royl Chibran Nationa, Pdrl. Kathmandu, Nepal.
DNPWC, HMG,D,lepal. 199'7. First Transbo ndary Consultative Meeting on Biolliversity
Consewation Between Nepal and India. Kathmatdu. HMG, Ministry of Forests and
Soil Conservation, Nepal.
DNPWC, HMc,4\lepal. 1997. Armual Progress RePot. HMG. Ministry of Forests and
Soil Consewation, Nepal.

23

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POEOX 7"560
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Legend

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IE. Single Poaching Incident
Road
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