Meet the man safeguarding owls from an illicit trade in central Nepal
Meet the man safeguarding owls from an illicit trade in central Nepal
Nepal’s Raju Acharya has been awarded a 2024 Whitley Award for spearheading a ten-year plan to safeguard the country's owls, including the jungle owlet, rock eagle owl and Eurasian eagle owl.
Raju Achayara with owl
Published: August 9, 2024 at 9:39 am
Central Nepal is home to the country's greatest density of owls – 19 of Nepal’s 23 species can be found here, including the jungle owlet, rock eagle owl and Eurasian eagle owl.
But there are threats to these special birds; they are the subject of an illicit trade, with 1,500 owls hunted or traded each year in Nepal. They are also at risk from habitat loss.
Raju Acharya, Founder and Executive Director of Friends of Nature, a Kathmandu-based environmental NGO, has spent decades garnering support for the protection of Nepal’s owls. He was instrumental in driving The Owl Conservation Action Plan in 2020, which addresses the threats to owls from hunting, illegal trade and habitat loss.
Recognising the incredible work, Whitley Fund for Nature (WFN) have presented Acharya with the 2024 Whitley Award – an honour that recognises and celebrates grassroots conservation leaders – for his contribution to the protecting owls in Nepal.
Find out more about Acharya's inspiring story.
Safeguarding owls in Nepal
Raju Acharya's story. Credit: Whitley Fund for NatureNepal’s owls species include the jungle owlet, rock eagle owl and Eurasian eagle owl (pictured). Credit: Raju AchayaraCentral Nepal is home to 2.4 million people from ten ethnic groups that co-exist harmoniously but which hold contrasting views on whether owls represent good or bad omens. Some people associate them with death, while in other areas, owl feathers are regarded as sacred objects that can ward off evil. Credit: Raju AchayaraHunting by teenagers using catapults and habitat loss are among the threats to the owls In central Nepal. Achayara believes community education could help reduce these threats. Credit: Raju AchayaraAchayara aims to collaborate with different ethnic groups, offering a better understanding of owls. He hopes this will reduce the use of catapults, discourage the consumption of owl meat and advocate for the adherence to the government regulations which protect the birds. Credit: Raju AchayaraThe Whitley Award funding will help boost initiatives in Central Nepal, home to the greatest density of the birds and 19 of the country’s 23 owl species. The abundance of birds significantly increases in those areas with larger numbers of old trees and Raju’s team will restore and rehabilitate 1,200 hectares of owl habitat by protecting 500 old trees and installing 100 artificial nests in semi-urban areas. Credit: Bikash GhimireAchayara’s project aims to build on Nepal’s success in conservation which has harnessed the proactive participation of communities. Credit: Raju Achayara
