Local bat-trapping net called Bhuwa installed beside Chiuri tree by local Chepang as their regular bat hunting activity

The Chepang communities are one of the twelve critically marginalized indigenous communities, constituting only 0.23% of Nepal’s population. They live in scattered settlements close to remote forests, steep terrain and inaccessible hills. They largely depend on forest products for their survival by hunting, fishing and collecting edible forest products.

Chiuri (Diploknema butyracea) is one of the major crop consumed by Chepang, which is exclusively pollinated by fruit bats such as Pteropus giganteus, Cynopterus sphinx etc. Chepang also consume bats as a major delicacy and hunt them for sale which provides a valuable source of income. So this three-way symbiotic relationship is under threat. It is certain that reduction of bat population causes reduction in Chiuri pollination, so expansion and production of Chiuri requires conservation of fruits bats.

Thus, the project will survey the present status and distribution of fruit bats in the Chepang communities inhabiting the study area. This will update the knowledge of current status and distribution of fruit bats outside the Protected Areas in Nepal. Information on different threats faced by bats and other wild fauna and decline in animals (rare or threatened species), will be accessed through direct observation and questionnaire survey. This will encourage government agencies for formulating better conservation and sustainable management strategies for conserving animal and plant resources. Community based conservation awareness will reduce the incidence of bat hunting/ poaching and help maintain bat population. Local people will know the importance of bats in ecosystem maintenance. The project will promote the Chiroptera conservation and will serve as background for the new project locally or nationally. Finally, a policy brief will be published highlighting conservation of Chiuri and bats for the livelihood of Chepang. The conservation measures and policy suggestions through this project will be very important to draft policy at National level which will suggest government authorities for its implementation.