Assessing Chinese Pangolin Status and Conservation through Community Engagement and Awareness Building in and Around Gaurishankar Conservation Area, Nepal

5 Sep 2018 Gaurishankar Conservation Area, Nepal, Indian Sub-continent Communities | Education | Mammals

Sandhya Sharma


Other projects

6 Apr 2017

Conserving the Critically Endangered Chinese Pangolin (Manis pentadactyla) in Sindhupalchok, Nepal

This study aims to conserve the Critically Endangered Chinese Pangolin (Manis pentadactyla) through piloting community based monitoring in Pipaldada Community Forest and obtaining the detail baseline status assessment in Gaurishankar Conservation area, which is one of the least explored protected area of Nepal. Additionally, awareness program will be carried out to communities, school children and other people using posters, audio-video, radio interview, publishing the importance, ecology, conservation issues and legal provision in the form of Booklet of the targeted species. Despite, creation of eco-club involving school students will be milestone in pangolin conservation in a long run.

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This project is designed to conserve the Critically Endangered Chinese pangolin (CP) in and around the Gaurishankar Conservation area. During the previous research, I had studied different community forests of Sindhupalchowk district, out of them locals of Pipaldada Community forest (PCF) were highly interested in the conservation of CP. Thus, to ensure the long term conservation of CP, we will assure the pro-active participation of local forest users’ through enhanced awareness towards pangolin conservation in PCF.

Despite, baseline information on pangolin distribution, habitat and threat assessment will be initiated in Gaurishankar Conservation Area, which is one of the youngest Conservation Area of Nepal. Using semi-structured questionnaires to the local people, traders, government officials, herders, teacher’s etc. will help to identity the current threats of CP and motivating factors for pangolin hunting’s needed conservation measures etc. Gaurishankar Conservation Area is considered as one of the transit point for the Illegal Wildlife Trade as the area is connected to China border in the North. Hence, awareness activities should be conducted for the proposed species conservation.

Awareness campaign will be undertaken with the local communities, school students and other conservation officials disseminating the information on CP ecology, importance, conservation benefits and legal provision through the production and distribution of brochures, booklets, commemoration of “World Pangolin Day” and creation of eco-club. Engagement of school children in conservation campaign through creation of eco-club and awareness campaign will be milestone in pangolin conservation in a long run as local youth represent the future. At schools speech and art competitions regarding the pangolin will be carried out and winners will be awarded with the prize. In addition, support of local F.M and dissemination workshop will also be taken for raising awareness against hunting and poaching of the pangolins. For the mass communication, despite of radio interview, social media (Facebook and Instagram) and local newspaper article will also be published.

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