Threats to Mammal Species in Nepal

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Threats to Mammal Species in Nepal
by Deepak Subedi \| 19-06-2018 20:01 0
Threats to Mammal Species in Nepal Throughout the Red Listing process and the national workshop, a range of threats were identified for mammal species in Nepal. . Poaching and illegal trade: Poaching remains a significant threat to many species. Even within protected areas, animals continue to be illegally hunted for commercial or subsistence purposes. One-horned Rhino, Royal Bengal Tiger and the musk deer are some of the most seriously affected species, and are illegally hunted for commercial trade with their parts often used for medicinal purposes and cosmetics. Many species illegally hunted for subsistence go unrecorded. Reduction of prey base: A large number of ungulate species are now considered threatened in Nepal. Many of these species constitute the main prey base for carnivores, and for large predators such as the Royal Bengal Tiger, prey depletion is considered a major factor in their decline. In fact, where prey species densities are depressed, the numbers of tigers and co-predators would continue to fall, even if other threats are successfully addressed (Karanth and Stith 1999). Habitat loss and degradation: Habitat loss and degradation are directly attributable to increasing human pressures including encroachment, conversion of grasslands and forests to agricultural lands, unsustainable natural resource extraction (such as sand mining, logging for firewood for local and commercial use), overgrazing by livestock and spread of invasive alien plant species such as Mikania micrantha (mile-a-minute weed), Lantana camara and Chromolaena odorata. The regions with the highest human population densities, in particular the Terai, have experienced significant natural resource over-exploitation and environmental degradation, with escalating pressures on local biodiversity. Loss of habitat connectivity can have a significant impact on wide ranging species such as the Asian Elephant, Royal Bengal Tiger and Snow Leopard and also on the surrounding communities through compression effects and increasing human-wildlife conflict. Over the longer term, there will be loss of genetic variation as sub populations become increasingly isolated. Many species have specific habitat needs. The declining quality of water systems due to unregulated domestic, agricultural and industrial waste disposal may be having a dramatic negative impact on the species that rely on these water habitats. The deforestation of primary forests and lack of planned regeneration are reducing the amount of suitable habitat available to many bat species, which are also suffering from a lack of protection of roosting sites. Human-wildlife conflict: Due to the increasingly close proximity of people and wildlife and with increasing habitat degradation and declining prey numbers, conflict often occurs as a result of crop raiding, predation on livestock and damage to property. This situation is escalated often by human fear and frequently results in the injury or fatality on both sides. Methods to discourage wildlife from invading human occupied areas often include non-discriminative and fatal measures, such as poisoned bait and electrocution. Disease transmission: The threat of disease to wildlife in Nepal is a largely un-quantified factor for many species. However, due to the close association, dietary and habitat overlap of many wild and domestic species, the risk of transmission of diseases such as tuberculosis, foot-and-mouth disease and rabies is ever increasing. Tuberculosis is an increasing problem in domestic Asian Elephants, and if it remains uncontrolled could easily pass to wild populations which would be catastrophic. Rapd decline in vulture populations is leading to a situation where large number of dogs and other scavengers congregate to feed on the the carcasses increasing the possibilities of rapid disease transmission among themselves and ultimately transmitting it to wild species such as Dholes, Lynx and Golden Jackal. Small and/or fragmented populations: Fragmented, small and isolated populations are at greater risk from demographic (reproductivity and mortality) and environment stochasticity (Purvis et al. 2000). Species with small populations, such as the Blackbuck and River Dolphin may also suffer from genetic problems (loss of heterozygozity and inbreeding depression). Inadequate knowledge and research: Thirty eight percent of all Nepal?s mammals are considered Data Deficient. This situation is especially acute for small mammals and bats of which 48% and 40% respectively are lacking in even baseline data on their population size, distribution and ecology. Without this information, it is difficult to develop effective conservation programmes for these species or groups and to assess their risk of extinction. Persecution: Some species are unduly persecuted due to traditional beliefs and a lack of awareness. This is especially the case for bat species but also affects species which occur in human-wildlife conflict areas. Small mammals are considered pests and transmitters of disease (for example, rats and mice can be associated with rabies, hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, murine typhus, salmonella enterica, serovar typhimurium and eosinophilic meningitis). As such, the negative attitude and association of unhygienic conditions towards rodents and small mammals often results in non-species specific persecution, commonly poisoning. Negative attitudes towards bats based on myth and folklore result in persecution, despite their great importance for pollination, seed dispersal, and pest and disease control.

Dormant user Deepak Subedi