Ishwar Khanal

Kathmandu, March 2:

A premier conservation agency is mulling the tapping of genetic material from wild animals as part of its two-pronged policy of both contributing towards biodiversity conversation and for improving the genetic configuration of domestic buffaloes.

Billed as a “victorious move” already, the plan which comes from the International Conservation Union (IUCN) proposes a “novel incentive” to keep domestic animals out of the wildlife reserve even as supply of semen from wild buffaloes is maintained to ensure “healthier” and more “valuable” crossbred buffaloes.

“Once implemented, the scheme will put an end to stampede to have domestic buffaloes mixing with wild males for conception. The villagers in the surrounding villages will have the requisite supply of semen they would need for their buffaloes,” said Samir Karki, Programme Coordinator, IUCN-Nepal.

Apart from improving the genetic stock of buffaloes in the region by crossbreeding, the World Bank-funded one-year-long project aims at promoting alternative forage by discouraging entry of domestic cattle into the Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve (KTWR).

This idea of using the semen from the sturdier wild animals to fertilise domestic animals outside the reserve is intended to help save the wild buffalo whilst increasing the income of at least 200 households.

“We want to provide incentives to anyone who would encourage local communities to switch over to the crossbred buffaloes since their meat could be more valuable and cost-efficient than raising so many redundant cattle,” Karki said.

Currently, some 15,000 domestic cattle illegally graze inside the KTWR, causing great damage to flora and fauna apart from endangering the Asiatic wild water buffalo in genetic terms. Picked up from amongst some 2700 entrants, IUCN Nepal’s initiative at KTWR has received the $194,000 Development Marketplace Award.

“This is all about promoting innovative development ideas linked to poverty alleviation through early stage seed funding,” Karki further said.

Classed as endangered in the 2003 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, the Asian wild water buffalo faces a reduction in numbers of at least 80 percent within the next 10 years or three generations mainly because of hybridisation. An official at Kathmandu Central Zoo confirmed that informal discussions are underway in this regard. The project has recognised the need to provide an economic incentive to promote behavioural change, and is expected to raise incomes by 20 percent whilst also improving the relationship between the protected areas’ authority and the local communities.