First observational record of Siberian weasel Mustela sibirica Pallas, 1773 in Dhorpatan Hunting Reserve, Nepal

Siberian weasel Mustela sibirica Pallas, 1773 is one of the least known small carnivores in Nepal. Only a few authenticated localities of Siberian weasel are known to exist in Nepal. In March 2021, a week-long field trip to the Dhorpatan Valley documented the first confirmed record of Siberian weasel in Dhorpatan Hunting Reserve in Western Nepal.

New record of the Ponerine ant Buniapone amblyops (Emery, 1887) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) from Nepal

Buniapone Schmidt & Shattuck 2014 is a monotypic and morphologically distinct hypogeic ant genus found only in Southern and Southeast Asia. The Ponerine ant Buniapone amblyops (Emery 1887) has been recorded for the first time from Nepal. The specimen was hand-collected in Pokhara (28.21361111 N, 83.97222222 E, 840 m asl) from animal dung on the ground. Morphological characteristics of Nepalese B. amblyops worker, distribution, and ecology are discussed.

Activity pattern and habitat association of Assamese macaques Macaca assamensis McClelland, 1840 in Shivapuri Nagarjun National Park, Nepal

Assamese macaque Macaca assamensis McClelland, 1840 is one of the primate species with narrow distribution range and the least exploration. This study investigated the diurnal activity of Assamese macaque and association with the vegetation in Nagarjun Forest of Shivapuri Nagarjun National Park, Nepal. Behaviour sampling including Instantaneous sampling and Ad-libitum sampling (7:30 AM – 4:30 PM) along with vegetation survey (20 m × 20 m plots) were applied. The Raniban Barrack troop of Assamese macaque composed of 12 individuals was observed for a total of 225 hours to record the macaque’s diurnal activity. The troop spent 28% time in inactive, 25% in grooming, 23% in foraging, 23% in locomotion and 1% in fighting. Assamese macaque troop spent more time in Schima wallichii possessing 25.91%, 36.29% and 41.22% for foraging, locomotion and inactive respectively of the diurnal time. Altogether, 67 plant species (herbs, shrubs, trees and climbers) were documented from vegetation analysis. Schima wallichii and Ardisia macrocarpa were dominated the habitat. Paired t-test revealed significant difference in foraging (df = 24, P = 0.010) and inactive (df = 24, P = 0.003) between the morning and day observational phases. The findings of this study shed light on the food preference and microhabitat use by the protected Assamese macaque in Nepal that assists to formulate the management plans for the species.

Occurrence of bats in protected areas of Nepal: An update on species richness and distribution records

Bat surveys in 20 Protected Areas (PAs) of Nepal are sporadic and/or had targeted purposively a few localities, therefore, bat diversity from the PAs is yet to be explored. Bat species richness in PAs from two reviews until 2011 are inconsistent. In total, seven surveys have been undertaken in six PAs since 2011. Hence, an update and revision on chiropteran account from the PAs of Nepal is warranted. We reviewed available literatures and museum collection records, and further collated and plotted bat occurrence coordinates into the country and mapped them. In total, 44 of 53 bat species in Nepal have been recorded from 12 PAs. Annapurna Conservation Area (ACA) reports highest species richness (22) followed by Shivapuri Nagarjun National Park and Buffer Zone (SNNP & BZ) (15), Makalu Barun National Park and Buffer Zone (MBNP & BZ) (14) and Chitwan National Park and Buffer Zone (CNP & BZ) (13). In contrast, survey localities are more in CNP & BZ (12), ACA and SNNP & BZ (equally 11) and MBNP & BZ (10). Species richness increased proportionately with higher survey efforts and including more habitat types in respective PAs. Three species: Rhinolophus ferrumequinum, Rh. pearsonii and Rh. sinicus are recorded from six out of 12 PAs. Pipistrellus javanicus (12), Hipposideros armiger (10), Cynopterus sphinx (9) and Rh. sinicus (9) are recorded from maximum number of surveyed localities in the PAs. All the PAs have limited occurrence records. Therefore, intensive surveys are recommended for understanding actual chiropteran diversity to the PAs of Nepal.

New locality record of the Lofty bath white butterfly Pontia callidice (Hübner, 1800) in Nepal

Lofty bath white Pontia callidice is a little-known butterfly of Nepal, reported only from Darchula district, Far Western Nepal. We recorded the new distribution eastward of this species 166 km N-E far from its previous range in Talung and Gyaukhola Valley of Upper Humla in July 2017 at elevations between 4400 to 4829 m above sea level. This is also the highest elevation record of this species.

Tribute to Hari Saran Nepali (1943 – 2021 AD)

NA

Records of Jerdon's baza Aviceda jerdoni (Blyth, 1842) from eastern Nepal

Jerdon's baza Aviceda jerdoni is one of the least studied raptor species in Nepal which is listed as a Critically Endangered species in the ‘Nepal's Red List of Birds’. This paper presents the records of this species during opportunistic surveys, conducted in 2018/2019 from Ilam and Jhapa districts of eastern Nepal. A total of 18 individuals were sighted during the study period with the first record of nest of the species in Nepal. The sightings were made between 70 m, the lowest global known range to 1048 m from mean sea level, and the highest altitudinal record for Nepal. Hunting and unintentional prey poisoning were identified as major threats for species in the study site.

Annotated checklist of Collembola of Nepal

This is the first annotated checklist of Collembola species of Nepal. It includes 167 collembolan species belonging to 78 genera and 17 families including 45 endemic species. Majority of the Nepalese collembolan species were reported from major trekking routes viz. Mount Everest, Annapurna Conservation Area and Langtang area with very few other locations. The highest record of collembola in Nepal is about 5800 m asl. Southern Terai and Siwalik range remain unexplored.

Spatiotemporal association of human-elephant conflict around Parsa National Park, Nepal

This study was carried to evaluate the Spatio-temporal association of human-elephant conflict (HEC) among five different rural municipalities (Nirmalbasti, Jirabhawani, Sakhuwaparsauni, Parsagadhi, and Paterwasugauli) of Parsa District around Parsa National Park in 2019. Primary data was collected by using questionnaire surveys with victims’ family and local people using random sampling method, key informant interviews with Chief Conservation Officer of Parsa National Park, District Forest Officer, ZSL field official, Chairperson of Batika Buffer Zone User Committee, focus group discussion, and field visit to verify the information. Total six people were killed and one person was survived with severe injury by the elephant attacks between 2013 and 2019 in the study area. Crop raiding was perceived as the most serious conflict from the elephants by local people. People around the national park are mostly farmers with a low level of income. They are mostly dependent on agriculture for their livelihood. Elephants are damaging the crops of the farmers making their livelihood difficult. HEC intensity was highest during the rice harvest season (65%), and at night (83%). Local farmers also reported that the aroma of ripening paddy had an interesting relation with HEC, it was associated with elephants’ crop-raiding behavior. Local farmers did not use any specific traditional mitigation measure but believed that planting unpalatable crops and constructing a solar fence around the national park minimizes HEC and will promote co-existence between people and elephants.

Population status and threats to fishing cat Prionailurus viverrinus (Bennett, 1833) in Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve, Eastern Nepal

Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve (KTWR) in eastern Terai of Nepal is believed to hold a relatively healthy population of vulnerable fishing cats but has remained unexplored. We conducted camera trapping and questionnaire survey in KTWR and its buffer zone in the winter of 2016 and 2017 to estimate the population status and threats to fishing cat Prionailurus viverrinus. Camera trapping was conducted in 2016 on fish farms in the eastern buffer zone where we found a minimum of nine fishing cat individuals visiting the surveyed fish ponds. The frequency of their visits to fish ponds varied 0–5 (average 2) nights during seven active camera trap nights. A survey in the second year (2017) covered the entire reserve. Spatially Explicit Capture-Recapture models estimated a population of 20 fishing cats with density of 8.4/100 km2 in KTWR and the eastern buffer zone. We interviewed 50 fish farmers to understand the people’s perceptions towards fishing cats. More than 40% of the respondents reported fishing cats consuming fish from their farm. Retaliation and road kills were documented as major threats of fishing cats in the study area. The population of the fishing cat is found dependent partially on fish ponds, indicating the possibility of conflict with fish farmers. We recommend the detailed study on the movement of fishing cats between the reserve and fish farming area in the buffer zone.