KATHMANDU, Nepal- It’s a regular phenomenon for the administration to impose curfew when there was riot and the mass became uncontrollable. But it may be surprising news for many to learn that the authorities have imposed curfew to humans for the reason that they could not disturb the wild beasts in the latters sexual activities.
Citing that the Red Pandas, one of the endangered animals, are very shy in nature and even simple human interference may have negative effect in their sexual behaviour, the local authority of eastern Nepal based community forest groups and the bordering Singhalila National Park of India have prohibited any human trespass in the area for four months.
The Indian authority through a notice has restricted the tourists in the area as their movement could disturb the animals in fertilization.
The park also shares two entry points along the Kanchenjunga trail with Nepal districts of Ilam and Taplejung. India has built a trekking trail upto the Kanchenjunga base camp from the Manebhanghyang of Pashupatinagar. Hundreds of tourists visit the area through Nepali land.
With the tourist ban on the area for four long months from June 15 to September 15, visitors who came to see the endangered animal cut short their visit forcing local hoteliers and tour operators restricted to their limited income.
According to the park authority, there are different kinds of endangered animals and birds residing inside the park, and the human ban is for the protection of such rear species.
The community forest consumers groups along the area have also launched programmes to protect the animal. The groups are also preparing for the ban. “Red Pandas are very sensitive to their sexual behaviour,”Manoj Tiwari, President of Choyatar Community Forest Consumers Group is quoted as saying by the RSS, adding that the group is also preparing the ban to secure fertility privacy of the animal and to protect it.
The endangered animal species is also found in the Ilam, Taplejung and Panchthar of Nepal but the actual number is yet to be ascertained. However, the local communities through different groups are active in protection of the animal.
