s[i0f;f/ ;+/If0f If]q KRISHNASAAR CONSERVATION AREA Joj:yfkg of]hgf MANAGEMENT PLAN -@)&$÷&%—@)&*÷&(_ (2074/75-2078/79) g]kfn ;/sf/ Government of Nepal jg tyf jftfj/0f dGqfno Ministry of Forests and Environment Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation /fli6«o lgs'~h tyf jGohGt' ;+/If0f ljefu s[i0f;f/ ;+/If0f If]q sfof{no KRISHNASAAR CONSERVATION AREA OFFICE v}/fk'/, alb{of, g]kfn Khairapur, Bardiya, Nepal rvation Are rvation Are se a, se a, on B on B C a C a r rd r rd a i a i a y a y s a s a a , a , n n N N h h e e s s p p i i r r a a K K l l s[i0f;f/ ;+/If0f If]q s[i0f;f/ ;+/If0f If]q alb{of, g]kfn alb{of, g]kfn :yf=M @)^% :yf=M @)^% g]kfn ;/sf/ Government of Nepal jg tyf jftfj/0f dGqfno Ministry of Forests and Environment /fli6«o lgs'~h tyf jGohGt' ;+/If0f ljefu Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation s[i0f;f/ ;+/If0f If]q sfof{no vation A vation A ser rea Krishnasaar Conservation Area Office ser rea n , B n , B Co a Co a r r r r a d a d v}/fk'/, alb{of, g]kfn i i a y a y s a Khairapur, Bardiya, Nepal s a a , a , n n N N h h e e s s p p i i r r a a kmf]gM (&&–*$–$!@))&, km\ofS;M (&&–*$–$!@))& K K l l Telephone: +977-84-412007, Fax: +977-84- 412007 + + s[i0f;f/ ;+/If0f If]q Email: [email protected] s[i0f;f/ ;+/If0f If]q alb{of, g]kfn alb{of, g]kfn Od][email protected] :yf=M @)^% Website: www.krca.gov.np :yf=M @)^% j]e;fO6Mwww.krca.gov.np KRISHNASAAR CONSERVATION AREA MANAGEMENT PLAN (2074/75-2078/79) Government of Nepal Ministry of Forests and Environment Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation KRISHNASAAR CONSERVATION AREA OFFICE Khairapur, Bardiya, Nepal rvation Are se a, on B C a r rd a i a y s a a , n N h e s p i r a K l s[ii0f;f/0f;f/ ;+/+/If0fIf0f IIff]q] aalblb{oof,f, g]k]kfnfn ::yf=Myf=M @@)^%)^% Publisher: Krishnasaar Conservation Area Offi ce, Khairapur, Bardiya, Nepal Citation: KrCA 2017. Krishnasaar Conservation Area Management Plan (2074/75 - 2078/79), Krishnasaar Conservation Area Offi ce, Khairapur, Bardiya, Nepal Cover Photo Credit: © Krishnasaar Conservation Area Offi ce, Khairapur, Bardiya, Nepal Supported By: WWF Nepal, Hariyo Ban Program and Terai Arc Landscape Program © 2017, Krishnasaar Conservation Area Offi ce. All rights reserved. Any reproduction of this publication in full or in part must mention the title and credit Krishnasaar Conservation Area Offi ce Executive Summary Blackbuck (Antelope cervicapra) is a protected wildlife of Nepal and it is also listed in Appendix III of CITES. Locally known as “Krishnasaar” in Nepal, it is believed that Lord Krishna cared for this wildlife. Thus, blackbuck is considered a holy animal by the Hindus, especially by the Yadav community. Blackbuck was once a common wildlife throughout the Indian sub-continent. It was distributed throughout West Pakistan along the foothills of the Himalayas from Punjab (Pakistan) through Uttar Pradesh (India) and Nepal to West Bengal (India) and Bangladesh (Lydekker 1924 cited in Chand 1999). In Nepal, blackbucks were once commonly found in western Terai regions of Kanchanpur, Bardiya and Banke districts in the 1960s (Pradhan et al. 1999). Then the wildlife species was considered to be extinct in the country. However, in 1975, a few blackbucks were sighted by Krishna Man Shrestha (then warden of Royal Karnali Wildlife Reserve) and Eric Dinerstein in Khairapur of Bardiya district of Nepal. Afterwards, with the joint effort of Department of Forests and Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation, fi ve staff members were assigned to protect Krishnasaar and its habitat in Khairapur of Bardiya. In the meantime, GoN made an attempt to establish was set up in 2010 at Khairapur. Similarly, KrCAMC was another population of blackbuck in Nepal through formed to increase people’s participation in blackbuck translocation of the wildlife in Baghaura Phanta of conservation. Since then, KrCA has been protecting the Bardiya National Park. With the initiation of Central Zoo, wildlife species with the support from conservation blackbucks were translocated in 1977, 1985 and 1992. communities. Resettlement program is still the prioritized Altogether 46 blackbucks were translocated to Baghaura activity of KrCA. Thus, this issue has been taken to the Phanta but this initiative proved unsuccessful because a Ministry of Forests and Soil Conservation to be addressed at monitoring conducted in 1993 failed to fi nd even a single the Government level. animal there. Then it was concluded that Khairapur was the only habitat where blackbuck could survive. In 1994, Translocation is essential to safeguard the population of the Government made a decision to establish Krishnasaar blackbuck because Khairapur population is the source Conservation Area (KrCA), covering 488 ha. of land population of the wildlife species in Nepal. Khanal consisting of 173 ha. of registered land, 105 ha. of ailani (2002) carried out an assessment of new translocation (unregistered land) and 210 ha. of forest area. sites (Rauteli Bichuwa, Arjuni and Chaliaya Phanta) of Suklaphanta National Park (ShNP). Based on Khanal’s Most of the current blackbuck habitat at Khairapur used study (2002), the translocation of several animals to to be private land and people had been living there since Hirapur Phanta of ShNP was conducted in 2012 as part 1971. During 1994-1996, the Government took an initiative of an effort to establish a second viable population of to acquire the private land by paying compensation to blackbucks in Nepal. affected local inhabitants. It has already paid a sum of one crore eighty lakh Nepali Rupees (NRs. 1,80,00, 000) as Blackbuck primarily inhabits short grassland and prefers compensation for acquisition of land. However, the issues to graze selectively on short to mid-length grasses. It also relating to illegal settlers and encroachers in ailani land prefers to eat crops. Blackbuck in KrCA had been grazing have not been solved due to political instability in alongside local livestock since time immemorial. However, the country. KrCA was declared in 2009 and an offi ce livestock grazing inside the blackbuck habitat has been KRISHNASAAR CONSERVATION AREA MANAGEMENT PLAN (2074/75 – 2078/79) IX a problem as a huge number of livestock regularly graze The activities are mainly centered on resettlement of inside KrCA. Likewise, the grassland has been intruded by illegal settlers or encroachers and habitat management. various invasive species. In the aftermath of the fl oods of The activities relating to habitat management consist 2071, the intrusion of invasive species has increased. The of grassland management, wetland management and invasive species, mainly consisting of Ipomea, has also controlling invasive species. Species conservation is been found to invade local wetlands which has affected another important activity which focuses in blackbuck blackbuck as well as migratory birds. There is an increase conservation together with the protection of other in the trend of tourists visiting KrCA, and, most of the associated wildlife species. The plan also focuses on tourists are Nepalese. Tourism infrastructure, however, tourism development since tourism at KrCA is at its early is yet to be developed in order to provide service and stage. The other areas of activities include institutional facility to the visitors. In addition, KrCA should provide a strengthening, community development outside the core platform for private entrepreneurs by creating a conducive area, conservation awareness, study and research, and environment for investment. offi ce management. Altogether, Twenty-Two Crore Thirty- Two Lakhs Seventy-Six Thousand Nine Hundred Thirteen KrCA does not have an approved management plan Rupees (NRs. 22,32,76,913) has been estimated for the yet, although a draft plan was already in place. This endeavor, and focus is given to Habitat Management management plan has been prepared with the leadership with a weightage of 20.10%. The Government has of conservation offi cer of KrCA in accordance with the allocated 45.84% of the budget on the average, and the procedures prescribed by Protected Area Management management plan envisages the need for partnership Plan Preparation Guideline 2073. The management plan is with partner conservation organizations to fi ll the gap organized in two parts viz. Part A: Existing Situation, and, of remaining 54.16% of the budget. Conservation User part B: Proposed management. Part A comprises Background Committees should also need to seek budget from other information, whereas Part B begins with Chapter four line agencies and conservation partners for community (describing vision, goal, objectives and major challenges) development activities as the revenue generation of KrCA and ends with activities/log frame in Chapter eleven. was only NRs. 70,650 in the fi scal year of 2073/74. X KRISHNASAAR CONSERVATION AREA MANAGEMENT PLAN (2074/75 – 2078/79) ACRONYMS ATM Automated Teller Machine BNP Bardiya National Park CA Conservation Area CAUCs Conservation Area User Committees CBAPU Community Based Anti-Poaching Unit CBOs Community-based Organizations CC Conservation Committee CCA Climate Change Adaptation CCVA Climate Change Vulnerability Assessments CF Community Forest CFUG Community Forest User Group DCC District Coordination Committee DFO District Forest Offi ce DLSO District Livestock Service Offi ce DNPWC Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation DoF Department of Forests FOs, Functional Organizations GIS Geographic Information System GoN Government of Nepal GPS Global Positioning System