CHITWAN: Lack of wildlife health experts in the country has evoked a major concern among the stakeholders.

Speakers of the four-day-long regional seminar in Sauraha, Chitwan on health science of tigers, Asian rhinoceros and elephants have expressed serious concerns over wildlife health.

Asserting that there is a lack of educated manpower in the field of wildlife health, speakers warned of a disastrous consequence if an epidemic spreads among animals.

Moreover, the participants also called for general awareness, remarking that in the event of an epidemic, the disease can spread among domestic animals as well as human beings.

The seminar organised through joint collaboration of Agriculture and Forestry University and National Trust for Nature Conservation has housed 87 veterinary surgeons and experts from 13 countries including Nepal, Australia, China, India, Russia, England and America among others.

According to the Dean of Department of Animal Science, Veterinary Science and Fisheries, Dr Sarada Thapaliya, 33 work plans and eight papers related to wildlife health and sciences will be presented by the experts in the workshop.

“60 per cent of the wildlife related diseases pose a threat to humans, thus there is a need of assimilating health of animals — wild as well as domestic — and humans while conducting a study,” Assistant Professor at the University, Himal Luintel said. “Preventing and curbing an wildlife epidemic will pose serious difficulties as Nepal does not have experts with adequate knowledge in the area.”

Participants in the seminar will come to a conclusion on the required contribution in the field of wildlife conservation, it has been said. The seminar also includes field trips and laboratory experiments.