Bardiya, April 24

Taking advantage of the government-imposed nationwide lockdown, wood smugglers have become more active in felling trees in the community forests of Bardiya.

A band of timber smugglers have felled a total of 22  trees in Dhakaila and Katarniya community forests of Barbardiya Municipality in the past one week.

“The wood smugglers have felled 22 trees of various species,” said Bardiya National Park Chief Conservation Officer Annath Baral.

A joint team of Bardiya National Park and Nepali Army Shivdal Gan has nabbed a person for allegedly felling trees. Other people involved in tree smuggling are at large, said a source at the BNP.

Preparations are on to send the arrested person to the park’s head office in Thakurdwar.

“A manhunt is under way to nab the absconding smugglers,” said conservation officer Baral.

An auto-rickshaw used by the smugglers has been seized. Meanwhile, one person has been arrested for  misbehaving with BNP employees.

A man from Bhurigaun of Thakurbaba was held after he misbehaved with park staffers while trying to enter the forest.

Keeping in view the increasing activities of smugglers during the lockdown, Bardiya National Park has tightened security in the park.

Since the beginning of the lockdown, the park has arrested a total of 37 smugglers.

The park has launched sweep operation, patrolling, ambushing and camera trapping to take smugglers under control. Conservation Officer Baral said poachers, who returned home during the lockdown, posed a serious threat to the wildlife and forests.

A version of this article appears in e-paper on April 25, 2020, of The Himalayan Times.