Tourism Info Nepal

Black Panther and Leopard Spotted for the First Time in Rara National Park

Black Panther and Leopard Spotted for the First Time in Rara National Park

For the first time, a black panther and a leopard have been spotted in Rara National Park. These images were captured by camera traps set up by students from Tribhuvan University, who are conducting research on mammalian wildlife in the region.

According to Mahesh Neupane, Senior Conservation Officer at the park, the camera traps have recorded a variety of mammals including the black panther, Himalayan bear, fox, musk deer, wild boar, and leopard. Among these, the black panther and the leopard are the first-ever recorded sightings in the park.

The camera trap technology has been employed to document the large and medium-sized mammals in the area, providing detailed data on their activities. This research initiative is being led by Tilak Thapa Magar, a doctoral student from Tribhuvan University’s Department of Zoology, along with researcher Bimal Raj Shrestha, postgraduate student Bachan Prasai, and former president of the Central Consumer Committee, Birkha Bahadur Rokaya.

With approval from the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation and the Rara National Park office, cameras were installed in 40 locations across the park starting from Kartik 6 for a 21-day period.

Although the Rara National Park office has conducted bird surveys in the past, it has not yet carried out comprehensive surveys on the region’s wildlife, aquatic species, and plant life.

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