Black panther and squirrel spotted in Rara National Park

MUGU: A black panther and squirrel have been found for the first time in Rara National Park. The images of these animals’ presence in the park were seen in the cameras installed inside the park area by zoology students of Tribhuvan University. The students are studying mammals inhabiting the national park.

Rara National Park’s officiating senior conservation officer Mahesh Neupane said the cameras have captured the images of mammals like Black Panther, Himalayan bear, fox, musk deer, wild boar and squirrel, among other animals. Of these animals, black panther and squirrel have been sighted for the first time.

According to Neupane, the camera-trap technology has been used for studying the big and medium-sized mammals found in the park, their activities and details.

Tribhuvan University’s PhD student Tilak Thapa Magar and researchers Bimal Raj Shrestha, Master level student Bachan Prasain and former president of the Park Buffer Zone Consumers Committee Birkha Bahadur Rokaya are involved in the research.

The cameras were installed at 40 various locations inside the park for 21 days from October 22, with permission from the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation, and the Rara National Park.

Although the Rara National Park office has been conducting bird census inside the park, it has not so far carried out census of wildlife, aquatic animals and plants.