To strengthen the capacity of the field based vulture
conservation partners, care taker of Vulture Safe Feeding Sites and Nest
monitoring youth, Bird Conservation Nepal organized two day training on vulture
conservation and Vulture Safe Zone management in 27-28 September 2016. The
training as highly useful and effective on bringing the citizen scientist and
partners closer than ever in focusing on how to remove the killer drug
diclofenac from the environment, way forward on sustainable management of
Vulture Safe Feeding Sites and manage the data on vultures monitoring in Nepal.
33 persons representing 15 community based organizations from 12 districts of
lowland and mid-hills of western Nepal used the opportunity to discuss on
vulture conservation issues at local level and strategies for future actions on
vulture conservation in Nepal. Dr. Narendra Man Babu Pradhan, Chief Executive
Officer at BCN share about his very cheerful experience of IUCN world
conservation congress where participants of vulture range countries applauded
the Nepal piloted concept of ‘Vulture Safe Zone’ and success of participatory
conservation. He also highlighted about the introduction of Bird Conservation
Nepal and its working Strategy. Krishna Bhusal, Vulture Conservation Program
Officer at BCN presented about history and current situation of vulture
conservation in Nepal with future plan. He also highlighted about the Vulture
Release Plan 2016-2019 which aims for Initial Release of the White-rumped
Vultures from the Vulture Conservation Breeding Center using a telemetry study
to measure the prevalence of diclofenac in wild vulture food and to test the
assimilation of captive-reared vultures into the wild. Ramesh Thapa, Chief
Conservation Officer, Bardiya National Park, Rajendra Panta, Chief Ranashardul
Gandh, Thakurdwara, Bardiya, Nilkantha Kandel, BNPBZUC, Pradeep Regmi, SENSE
Nepal, Bardiya also delivered their thoughts and motivational speech on the
program. Vulture experts from Bird Conservation Nepal facilitated the training.