Himalayan News Service

Mahendranagar, May 29

‘Cervus’ and ‘Du” wall lizards or “Barhasinghe”, which are only found in Nepal and India, are being enlisted in the ‘endangered species’ category by World Heritage Society (WRH). This has provoked authorities to translocate large colonies from Royal Shukla Phanta Wildlife Reserve (RSPWR) to Royal Chitwan National Park (RCNP). The largest colony of these species is at RSPWR in Nepal.

A drive count of lizards to determine their population has also started. Estimates show that normally lizards live in colonies of 1200 to 1500. According to ranger Naresh Subedi, involved in the translocation programme, their population on record stands at 2524 in RSPWR and 110 in Royal Bardia National Park (RBNP). “These species of lizards were found in RCNP before 1950, but human interference consequently led to their extinction in the area”, adds Subedi.

Subedi has also been studying the effects that might arise after their translocation. He is neither aware of the attitudes local people might form on additional species of lizards, nor of the relationship that might develop between them and other animals. Currently they are being preyed upon by tigers and leopards of Shukla Phanta.

“The rangeland of RSPWR, also the habitat of “Barhasinghe”, is deteriorating rapidly and there is the possibility of these species migrating to India. Thus rangeland management should immediately take place”, says Subedi.

Further studies on ‘Barhasinghe’ have not been done since Scaf, an American researcher in 1976 carried out a research project for his PhD thesis. “A study is thus necessary at this point,” says Subedi.

“It is essential to protect ‘Barhasinghe’, an asset of RSPWR, which could be a potential site for eco-tourism”, says Ramesh Thapa, acting conservation officer at RSPWR.