<figure><img width="1024" height="768" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110141144/636d00f79c7e80680e0a3605jpeg.jpg" alt=""/><figcaption>Mujahideen guides took us to the northernmost part of the Panjshir Valley. All photos: LISA CHOEGYAL</figcaption></figure>Kids playing on rusted tanks abandoned by the retreating Russians, war debris comfortably incorporated into stone walls to contain sheep and goats, and flickering green flags of the martyrs’ graves, too many graves, under a cloudless sky.These are the enduring images of the Panjshir Valley, wild flowers, willows and orchards lining the clear streams beneath the grand arc of barren hillsides, rocks and caves used to hide the resistance fighters loyal to Ahmad Shah Massoud, the legendary ‘Lion of Panjshir’.Nestled deep within the Hindu Kush, Massoud’s faithful foot soldiers, the fierce unforgiving geography and its defendable narrow entrance enabled the Panjshir Valley to hold out against waves of invasions — the Soviet Union in the 1980s and <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/nepal-and-the-talibans-second-coming/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">the Taliban</a> in the 1990s.  <img width="980" height="968" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110141144/636d00f99c7e80680e0a3606jpeg.jpg" alt="">In 2001, just two days before the 9/11 terrorist attack in New York, the revered commander of the former Northern Alliance, lover of poetry and mujahideen leader was targeted by al Qaeda and the Taliban, assassinated by a bomb detonated by two Arabs posing as journalists in one of his Panjshir forts. This week, it will be 20 years since his assassination and the 9/11 attacks that brought American retaliation on al Qaeda bases in Afghanistan. <figure><img width="1200" height="1600" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110141144/636d00fc9c7e80680e0a3607jpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>‘More than five years after his assassination Massoud remains a national hero to many Afghans,’ <a href="http://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,1555018,00.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://content.time.com/time/subscriber/article/0,33009,1555018,00.html&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1630819742846000&amp;usg=AFQjCNFkxM3nfPq5FiSkPCxlayXccFIi-Q">Time</a> magazine wrote in 2006. 'Passengers at Kabul airport are greeted by a mural of him standing several stories high. Massoud’s place in history is assured by the fact that he was arguably the most brilliant practitioner of guerrilla warfare in the late 20th century.’ High praise in a country where rebel insurgency has been honed into an art form over the turbulent centuries.These Panjshir fields and villages are currently holding out against the Taliban’s otherwise successful swoop throughout <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/afghanistan-abandoned/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Afghanistan</a>, the last stand for freedom in a nation gripped with uncertainty and fear, tribal recriminations and revenge that have festered over the past twenty years. This time the young Ahmad Massoud has stepped into his famous father’s shoes to lead the resistance from their Panjshir stronghold.Panjshir Valley lies in the northeast of Afghanistan, and in October 2005 we travelled through it to the furthest northern border in search of trekking and tourism ideas that would benefit local homeowners, guides, horsemen and crafts people. My hopeful notes show that our suggestions included Afghan village guesthouses, the Mir Samir trek ‘a short walk in the Hindu Kush’, a five-day hike ‘in the footsteps of Massoud’ circuit, visitor information, and a saddlebag and blanket weaving enterprise.One of the issues to overcome in rural <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/afghans-in-nepal-await-resettlement/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Afghanistan</a> was to persuade our hosts that they must charge money for tourist services. So powerful are the traditions of hospitality (‘guest is god’), sharing what little they have, that taking payment for what we consider normal tourism services such as meals, accommodation and guiding was an alien concept which they struggled to accept. <figure><img width="1024" height="768" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110141144/636d00ff9c7e80680e0a3608jpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>“Your visit here was at a time when there was hope and great expectations for the country,” remembers Ali Azimi, our Asian Development Bank client and an Afghan American with deep-rooted insider networks within the community. In Kabul he always seemed to know when and where there would be trouble, much better informed than the United Nations security system who was nominally responsible for us. He insisted on accompanying me to Panjshir to help “find ways to put money in pockets of village folks through tourism initiatives”. <figure><img width="768" height="1024" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110141144/636d01029c7e80680e0a3609jpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>As we drove out of town in a large white vehicle bristling with antenna and aerials, we failed to feel an earthquake which shook the city. Leaving behind the acrid fragrance of war, Ali Azimi morphed from his usual persona of a neatly-bearded grey-suited ADB executive into the country’s ubiquitous flowing robes of anonymity.  I tried, no doubt less successfully, to blend in with scarves and shalwar kameez. It was <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/ramadan-in-exile/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Ramadan</a>, the time of fasting, but as travellers the rules did not strictly apply. ‘Mobile sex’ was the SUV’s call sign, but Ali was happy to lose contact once the signal weakened in the countryside, preferring to rely on local knowledge of his Panjshir guides, hand-picked former mujahedin of course, who joined us soon after entering the valley.These fighters were hard-core, the trauma of years of mountain combat etched into their weathered faces and wild eyes. They prayed at every shrine, honoured every grave, showed us their hideouts, revealed their hunting trails, took us into their homes, unrolled their carpets, shared their food, played with their children, and talked with urgent low voices on flat mud roofs under the stars in Dari which I could not understand.  It all made sense when Ali explained that our two mujahideen friends were Massoud’s personal bodyguards, his most trusted elite, still haunted by the guilt of the day they waited outside their commander’s room having admitted the ‘journalists’ with a deadly device concealed in the television camera. <figure><img width="1600" height="1200" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110141144/636d01069c7e80680e0a360ajpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>Part of the TRC Tourism team of Kiwi and Nepali consultants, we worked in Afghanistan for ADB and the Aga Khan Development Network on three missions in 2005, 2006 and 2008 that included Kabul, Bamyan, Band-i-Amir lakes, Wakhan Corridor and the Panjshir Valley. Ali wrote recently: ‘You will be pleased to know your recommended ecotourism policy is being practiced in Band-i-Amir.’ Most of all we remember the harsh beauty of the landscape, the unexpected warmth of its people caught in an eternal loop of historical conflict, and hearing the chilling tales of horror under Taliban rule.Twice we arranged for groups of Afghan officials and tour operators to visit Nepal’s ecotourism models in 2009 and 2011, including the governor of Bamyan, Hariba Sarabi, a remarkable Hazara woman who was part of the Doha peace talks.  <figure><img width="640" height="480" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110141144/636d01099c7e80680e0a360bjpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption> </figcaption></figure><figure><img width="2048" height="1536" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110141144/636d010b9c7e80680e0a360cjpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>The Nepal trips to study sustainable tourism were led by my New Zealand-funded Bamyan ecotourism project colleague, Amir Foladi. The work included a visitor centre dedicated to the <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/opinion/piecing-together-afghanistans-bamyan-buddhas/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">remains of the Buddhas of Bamyan</a>, carefully collected by UNESCO. Foladi showed me tragic metal pieces from the explosives that destroyed these 6th century monumental statues in 2001, still embedded amidst the mud and plaster fragments which are all that is left - except the massive blank empty niches. <figure><img width="640" height="480" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110141144/636d010f9c7e80680e0a360djpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>Throughout the catastrophic drama of last week’s departure following the Taliban takeover, it is impossible not to mourn for an Afghanistan that might have been. The progress over the last two decades, however imperfect, is dissipated. Particularly <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/i-may-not-be-alive-by-the-time-i-am-evacuated/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">the fate of women</a> is desperately unclear.One ray of light amidst the grief and despair of the withdrawal is that my friend Foladi and his ecotourism teammates have arrived in Auckland, six Afghan families evacuated to safety through the chaos of Kabul airport by the New Zealand Defence Force just 24 hours before the fatal bomb. They are the lucky ones, so many left behind to face a frighteningly unreliable future.

Lisa Choegyal

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A short walk up the Panjshir

<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022111015118/636d05ed9c7e80680e0a5f35jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1765" height="1000"/><figcaption>Fireflies in bushes along Phewa Lake at a resort that is promoting firefly tourism. Photos: KRISHNA MANI BARAL</figcaption></figure>Visitors from all over the world are attracted to Pokhara for its stunning mountain views and its relaxed lakeside life. But very few know about Pokhara’s vibrant nightlife: its <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/night-of-the-firefly/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/night-of-the-firefly/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1625458802772000&amp;usg=AFQjCNGypwhvNzYZ3CXYzoNflxjC6Cs8Jg">fireflies.</a>However, this July 4 on International Firefly Day just like last year, there will not be many to venture out beyond the city lights to admire the lakeside come alive with these glowing insects.“Pokhara could benefit from promoting firefly tourism just like in Japan, Taiwan and Malaysia have,” says conservationist Hum Gurung, who is now promoting firefly tourism in Malaysia as Regional Project Manager with Birdlife International Asia.A native of Sikles, Gurung grew up watching fireflies on the shores of Pokhara’s lakes as well as along streams in the mountains, and says some of the wetland habitats that fireflies prefer to congregate in should be protected.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022111015118/636d05f09c7e80680e0a5f36jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1609" height="1000"><figcaption>Fireflies compete with light pollution from the tourist city's lake front.</figcaption></figure>In Japan, visitors actually have to buy tickets to enter firefly sanctuaries during the summer <a href="https://www.hisgo.com/us/destination-japan/blog/top_5_spots_in_japan_to_see_the_summer_fireflies.html" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.hisgo.com/us/destination-japan/blog/top_5_spots_in_japan_to_see_the_summer_fireflies.html&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1625458802773000&amp;usg=AFQjCNFnkRR1TvSt547SLYvqHKc5bJvLdg">Hotaru festival</a>. Gurung sees no reason why Pokhara cannot do the same.“Why should mountains be our only attraction?” he asks.Indeed, the Back To Nature Resort on the western edge of Phewa Lake is already doing just that. One humid monsoon night this week, the blinking lights of hundreds of fireflies made the forest glow, while the lucky few who had heard of the place gasped with awe.“We have tried not to publicise this too much, we want to practice sustainable eco-tourism,” says the resort’s Dambar Pun. “In fact, we now have domestic tourists who come here from all over Nepal, and even extend their stay. They cannot get enough of the fireflies.”The firefly’s blinking glow is a mechanism for mating and scaring off predators, and only happens a few weeks in a year in June-July. It therefore can be a part of a package of attractions for Pokhara visitors during the monsoon, Pun says.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022111015118/636d05f39c7e80680e0a5f37jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1568" height="1000"><figcaption></figcaption></figure><a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2020/02/03/world/fireflies-extinction-risk-scn/index.html" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://edition.cnn.com/2020/02/03/world/fireflies-extinction-risk-scn/index.html&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1625458802773000&amp;usg=AFQjCNH2HlYNBoGHEyWSICYgypPFoH-wNQ">Fireflies are actually beetles</a> from the family Lampyridae and have been in existence since the age of the dinosaurs. They evolved a unique chemical reaction called bioluminescence using calcium, magnesium and a catalyst called luciferin to emit the glow, but without giving off heat.Says butterfly expert Bhaiya Khanal, previously with the Natural History Museum: “Firefly tourism opens up a lot of opportunities including the possibility of finding more species. This, in turn, will promote their conservation.”The <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/the-fading-light-of-nepals-fireflies/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/the-fading-light-of-nepals-fireflies/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1625458802773000&amp;usg=AFQjCNHEHvKhtSI6lRk1fHx42AG1CCgjFA">main threats to fireflies in Nepal</a> and elsewhere in the world are degradation of its wetland habitat, pesticide use, as well as light pollution that interferes with their mating signals. The climate crisis now also threatens all 2,200 firefly species so far identified. Fireflies have not been studied in detail in Nepal, and we do not even know how many species are found in the country.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/2022111015118/636d05f69c7e80680e0a5f38jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1493" height="987"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>In Pokhara itself, the spread of tourism along the lakefront has added light pollution to the dangers of pesticide use and urban expansion into the forested slopes. Fireflies take a year in their metamorphosis life cycle between egg, larva and adult, for this they need clean water and dark space.However, ‘citizen scientists’ in 10 districts have been studying the insects and trying to spread awareness in communities about excess light pollution, <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/fireflies-extinction-2645035259.html" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.ecowatch.com/fireflies-extinction-2645035259.html&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1625458802773000&amp;usg=AFQjCNEf3YLpG4DuRkULyH1Xrjq_E7N3DA">pesticide use and habitat destruction</a>.Says Hum Gurung: “While developing firefly tourism, we must also be careful that tourism itself is not one of the reasons the lights go out on these magical insects.”

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Pokhara comes alive at night

<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110111156/636cd96b9c7e80680e092e9cjpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1500" height="1200"/><figcaption></figcaption></figure>Many of us have fond childhood memories of the जुनकिरी (firefly), chasing the fascinating lightning bugs through fields and forests. Across the world and in Nepal, poets and singers have waxed eloquent about the blinking light of the nocturnal insects.But for <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/the-fading-light-of-nepals-fireflies/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">a creature so admired</a>, there has not been much of an effort to study and protect them. As elsewhere in the world, firefly numbers have declined sharply, even prompting the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) to set up a Firefly Specialist Group in 2018.“We grew up playing with fireflies, chasing them around Tundikhel, but those days are long gone,” laments Tirtha Bahadur Shrestha, a noted Nepali naturalist. “Fireflies need a pristine environment, and their very presence signifies undisturbed nature.”Fireflies belong to a family of beetles called Lampyridae and evolved alongside dinosaurs 100 million years ago. But habitat destruction, <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/nation/pesticide-laced-vegetables-continue-to-poison,1555" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">rampant pesticide use</a>, light pollution and climate change now threaten to put the lights out on all 2,200 species of fireflies so far identified.Read also: <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/between-existence-and-extinction-in-nepal/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Between existence and extinction in Nepal</a>, Sonia AwaleThe decline of fireflies indicates a degradation of the ecosystem, <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=18976" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">especially of wetlands</a>. Yet, there has been no systematic study of the status, scope and habitat of these glow worms  in Nepal.“The number and diversity of firefly species are unknown in Nepal and researchers have not given priority to these insects,” says Hum Gurung of Singapore-based Birdlife International Asia, who is promoting firefly tourism in Malaysia, and developing a participatory citizen scientist group to study fireflies in Nepal.Gurung says firefly conservation must begin with first researching them and planning a sustainable eco-tourism model based on firefly viewing, just like the cherry blossom season in Japan or fall colours in New England.“Their commercial value will add to the efforts to protect them,” he adds.But in Nepal, these lightning bugs that were once ubiquitous in gardens, jungles, riverbanks, and even streets and playgrounds in the towns have all but disappeared. Where did they all go?In Pokhara, butterfly researcher Surendra Pariyar says: “I have nostalgic memories of fireflies from my childhood, but as the city’s concrete jungle spreads I hardly see even one firefly these days.”Read also: <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/page/what-is-the-buzz" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">What's the buzz?</a>, Sonia AwaleElsewhere in Japan, Southeast Asia and South America, the charismatic beetles with their bioluminescent courtship displays have turned into a major attraction for nature and wildlife tourists.Extra income from the firefly boat tours was crucial in curbing overfishing in Malaysia’s Kuala Selangor. Fireflies can promote unique, insect-based <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/nepals-other-attraction-the-night-sky/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">night tourism</a> with indigenous communities in Bardia and Chitwan in Nepal.Says butterfly expert Bhaiya Khanal, previously with the Natural History Museum: “Firefly tourism opens up a lot of opportunities including the possibility of finding more species. This, in turn, will promote their conservation.”Artificial light however is the biggest threat to fireflies as it reduces the beetle’s breeding success. Bright lights from buildings, vehicles, flashlights, and even cell phones can disrupt firefly mating.Nurturing and protecting the habitat is equally important, especially as the bugs spend most of their life cycle in a larval stage and require several months or even up to three years, to develop into adults.“We need to understand their lifecycle and its role in the ecosystem, what it feeds on and what preys upon them and our conservation and ecotourism efforts should take all of these into account,” adds Tirtha Bahadur Shrestha.Fireflies can be a ‘gateway bug’ to get tourists and locals interested in conserving many other insects, often ignored in favour of tigers, rhinos and wild elephants. Nepal is a model for wildlife conservation but its efforts in protecting smaller organisms are nearly non-existent.But first, proper conservation mechanisms must be put in place so that spreading firefly tourism does not end up destroying the very insect it is trying to save.<a style="font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: 0.01em;" href="https://conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/csp2.391?utm_source=mp-fotoscapes" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">A new study</a> published in the journal Conservation Science and Practice provides the first comprehensive review of the geographic scope, magnitude, focal species, and other attributes of the major firefly tourism sites worldwide.The rapid proliferation of firefly tourism could mean new threats such as inadvertent trampling of female adults and degradation of larval habitats during tours.“Ultimately we have to change our destructive development methods and work on urban planning that takes into account the health of an ecosystem,” adds Hum Gurung, also co-author of the paper.Bhaiya Khanal agrees that conservation and development should go hand-in-hand. He says, “New infrastructure projects must not ignore these creatures, we must proactively protect them before they are forever gone.”<h2>What makes them glow?</h2><figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110111156/636cd96e9c7e80680e092e9djpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1280" height="850"><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>Fireflies have a romantic morse code for every occasion, whether it is to find a mate, or to scare off predators. It could be a steady glow or a flashing light, differing in duration, timing, colour, and repetition.All 2,200 identified species have their own blinking codes, glowing to varying degrees during the larva stage but most lose their light-emitting capacity by adulthood. Fireflies are also active during the day when they use chemical signals or pheromones to attract partners.Fireflies also emit a lightning signal when threatened by predators, or to protect territory. The light comes from a chemical reaction called bioluminescence, and the glow is not hot, but cold to touch.The lower abdomen of a firefly consists of calcium, magnesium, and a naturally occurring chemical called luciferin. But it is a superoxide ion, an extra electron, that is responsible for pale yellow, green, sometimes orange or blue flickers during hot summer nights.The reaction can be harmful to living tissue, but it does not affect the insect because the reaction is contained and happens quickly. The toxic luciferin molecule could be the key to a breakthroughs in cancer research and therapy.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110111156/636cd9729c7e80680e092e9ejpeg.jpg" alt="" width="447" height="285"><figcaption> </figcaption></figure><h2>Fireflies in Nepal</h2><figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110111156/636cd9749c7e80680e092e9fjpeg.jpg" alt="" width="2093" height="1372"><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>Only three species of fireflies have ever been recorded in Nepal, and even those were when the first British naturalists came to Kathmandu in the 1830s.Diaphanea marginellus was spotted at 2,000m in Kavre, so was Luciola ovalis. But the most common species found throughout Nepal is Luciola cruciate, pictured above.Fireflies prefer hot and humid conditions and are therefore found in the plains and the mid-mountains valleys of Nepal between July-August-- in ponds, streams, marshes and rivers. Fireflies usually are not found above 1,200m altitude, so Kathmandu would be at the upper limit of their habitat.

Sonia Awale

Night of the firefly

<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110111152/636cd8329c7e80680e092e2djpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="666"/>Many of us have fond childhood memories of the जुनकिरी firefly, chasing these fascinating flashing bugs through fields and forests. Across the world and in Nepal, poets and singers have waxed eloquent about the blinking light of these nocturnal insects.But for a creature so adored, there has not been much of an effort to study the science and chemistry behind their luminescence, their distribution, or why they have declined sharply in number.Indeed, the bugs that were once ubiquitous in gardens, jungles, riverbanks, streets and playgrounds in Nepal have all but disappeared. Where did they all go?Fireflies belong to a family of beetles called Lampyridae and existed alongside dinosaurs 100 million years ago. But habitat destruction, rampant pesticide use, light pollution and climate change now threaten to put the lights out on all 2,200 species of fireflies so far identified.Fireflies are also ecologically important species as their decline indicate the degrading quality of wetlands. And yet, there is no detailed study about the status of the species in Nepal, their scope and habitat."Thousands of firefly species are found globally but the number of species and their diversity are unknown in Nepal. This is sad and researchers have not given any priority to these insects," says Hum Gurung, Regional Project Manager with Birdlife International Asia who is promoting firefly tourism in Malaysia.In the recent years, these charismatic beetles have turned into a major attraction for nature and wildlife tourists. In fact, their bioluminescent courtship displays draw over one million tourists annually to sites located in at least 12 countries, mostly in the Southeast Asia and North America.A new study published on the journal Conservation Science and Practice provides the first comprehensive review of the geographic scope, magnitude, focal species, and other attributes of the major firefly tourism sites worldwide.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110111152/636cd8349c7e80680e092e2ejpeg.jpg" alt="" width="893" height="796"><figcaption>Tourism threatens many stages in the firefly life cycle.</figcaption></figure>Gurung, who is a co-author of the study, says that the rapid proliferation of firefly tourism provides a timely opportunity to examine how such activities may impact local firefly populations, and to highlight the biological factors that make certain species especially vulnerable to tourism-associated threats.Here in Nepal, fireflies can promote a unique, insect-based night tourism that also promote the sky at night. These can bring economic, social, and psychological benefits to local communities and tourists alike.Fireflies can also be a ‘gateway bug’ to get tourists and locals alike interested in conserving many other insects, often ignored in favor of large and small charismatic mammals.But first, proper conservation mechanism must be put in place so that spreading firefly tourism does not end up destroying the very insect it is trying to promote and save.<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110111152/636cd8379c7e80680e092e2fjpeg.jpg" alt="" width="2456" height="1632">“In Mexico, the rapid growth of firefly tourism over the past decade is thrilling but also alarming,” says co-author Tania López-Palafox. “We’re glad people can experience one of the world’s greatest natural wonders. But we also want to make sure the fireflies are still around for future generations to enjoy.”Lead author Sara M Lewis (co-chair of the IUCN SSC Firefly Specialist Group formed in 2018) of the Tufts University has spent three decades studying fireflies and highlights the need to recognise ecological requirements across all firefly life stages.The report further recommends minimising light pollution (bright lights from buildings, vehicles, flashlights, and even cell phones can disrupt firefly courtship rituals) to promote breeding success of firefly adults and protecting nearby habitat as the bugs spend most of their life cycle in a larval stage and require several months or even years to develop into adult form.In some sites, firefly populations have been threatened by tourists inadvertently trampling females and degrading larval habitats during their visits. A well-managed tour with trained guides is a prerequisite for sustainable firefly tourism. So is local communities educated about and motivated to protect firefly populations.Says co-author Wan F A Jusoh: “Local communities are the guardians of fireflies, and their stories and local knowledge carry the power to help protect them.”

The fading light of Nepal’s fireflies

The past year will go down in history as one great global disaster with the coronavirus pandemic leading the pack of calamities from fires to floods that have left their stamp on a world sadly lacking in informed and enlightened leadership. It was therefore great pleasure to escape from Kathmandu in search of clean air and adventure in the wilderness of West Nepal.Road works leaving the capital and between Narayanghat and Butwal meant that a journey that I normally reckon to take seven hours, instead took nine and could have been worse if we had not had a fairly clear run, over the Chure Pahar at Daunne. To be fair to the Department of Roads, the work in progress will improve matters greatly in the long term and the absence of foreign tourists has provided an opportunity to do so with less disruption than might otherwise be the case. Hotels, meanwhile, are taking the opportunity to work on upgrades that will, hopefully make for a better future. We spent the night at an old favourite, Club de Novo, which is currently undergoing renovation.Life looked up as we continued to head West along the Mahendra Highway, making for <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/its-a-jungle-out-there/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Bardia National Park</a>. We made good time and, on a whim, stopped at the headquarters of Banke National Park in search of information on this, the newest of Nepal’s National Parks.Covering an area of 550 square kilometers, Banke adjoins Bardia National Park to the West and the two are connected through a system of wildlife corridors comprising community and national forests to Suhelwa and Katarniaghat Wildlife Sanctuaries in neighbouring India. In its entirety, it forms one vast protected area for which both governments deserve credit. The Chief Warden, Shyam Kumar Saha, and his staff were most helpful and offered to provide a Game Scout as guide, should we wish to visit the Park on our return.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110111148/636cd7769c7e80680e092ddfjpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1500" height="924"/><figcaption>Golden Mahseer, Babai Bridge, Bardia National Park</figcaption></figure>We continued to Bardia, with a brief stop at the Babai Bridge to <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/nepalis-go-salmon-fishing-in-kamchatka/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">look at the fish</a> and crocodiles in the pool below the barrage. We stayed at Bardia Jungle Cottage, just outside the Park gates at Thakurdwara and enjoyed a pleasant day exploring the Park’s buffer zones and taking note of the changes in progress since my last visit eighteen months ago.From Bardia we progressed westwards, visiting the garden built as a memorial to the late King Mahendra at Tikapur, also popularly known as Tikapur Park. The park has a historical connection to King Mahendra, who was taken ill there whilst on a hunting trip, and is now sanctified in the form of a beautiful, well- maintained lush garden.There is also a viewing platform adjoining the Park, where, in the past, I have observed Gangetic dolphins frolicking in the Mohana River. On this visit, the river was full and the current too strong for the dolphins to show themselves, but with luck, the waters may subside and return to their past tranquil state and we may once again be able to enjoy the company of these beautiful creatures.Our next stop was at Ghodaghodi Tal, a Ramsar listed wetland comprising a series of interconnected lakes that provide habitat for many species of both resident and migrant waterfowl. The small temple on the site has now expanded into a religious school and the increased human activity seems to have driven many of the birds away from the new view tower constructed for the purpose of watching them.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110111148/636cd7799c7e80680e092de0jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1500" height="3086"><figcaption>Tikapur Park, Kailali</figcaption></figure>There is also a gate nowadays in front of the lake and a ticket counter where one has to buy a ticket in order to see the site. Legend has it that a hermit cursed the Hindu god, Shiva and goddess Parvati and turned them into horses, leaving them to encircle the lake, and so a temple dedicated to them appears by the lake.Another story relates how, a great flood once inundated several villages in the area. The raja sent out his trusted advisor mounted on his best Ghoda stallion to investigate. They never returned. The raja then sent another of his men mounted on his best Ghodi mare to find out what had happened. They too, never returned. And that is how the lake came to receive its name. It is said that, on still nights, one can still hear the sounds of the ghosts of the villagers who were drowned in the flood. I have never stayed to test this story out!<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110111148/636cd77c9c7e80680e092de1jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="864" height="399"><figcaption>Godaghodi Tal</figcaption></figure>Three kilometers East of Mahendranagar, we stopped to check in to Suda Farm Sanctum, a very pleasant little hotel with a garden and fish pond that attracted several species of waterbirds. In the evening we drove to the gate of Suklaphanta National Park to buy tickets for the next morning. The staff on duty seemed a little reluctant to sell us the tickets, saying that we would not be able to get a refund if our plans changed – which they very nearly did.The next morning, after an early breakfast we drove out onto the Highway only to be stopped immediately by the police who informed us that the road was closed due to a bundh! After explaining our plans they very kindly provided us with an escort to the Park gates, where we were met by our guide for the day, Mahananda Joshi. Once inside the Park, we were in a different world. Away from burning tyres and shouting mobs, we were able to enjoy the peace and quiet of the jungle, the only sounds being bird calls and the occasional alarm of a the Chital deer.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110111148/636cd77e9c7e80680e092de2jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1500" height="932"><figcaption>Hikmat Bhist’s former Silent Safari campsite, Suklaphanta National Park</figcaption></figure>A visit to Hikmat Bhist’s former camp site reminded me of the many pleasant evenings spent in that place listening to Hikmat’s tales of the past around a blazing fire, cupping our glasses while food would be prepared by chef Mangal, who we sadly lost Mangal to a tiger attack. I remembered, too, Peter Byrne, who had been given permission by Prince Basundhara to hunt in the forests of West Nepal with his high paying clients and who did much to contribute to the development of the Park. Many of the friends with whom I enjoyed Hikmat’s hospitality have now passed on, as has Hikmat himself, but they will always be remembered in that very special place.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110111148/636cd7829c7e80680e092de3jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1498" height="928"><figcaption>Barasingha, Suklaphanta National Park</figcaption></figure>We pressed on to the grass plains that give the Park its name and enjoyed the sight of herds of not only Barasingha (Swamp deer), for which <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/nepal-villages-learn-to-cope-with-climate-crisis/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Suklaphanta</a> is famous, but also Laguna (Hog deer), Chital (Spotted deer), Ratuwa (Barking deer) and the occasional Bandel Wild boar. We drove to boundary pillar 26, that marks Nepal’s border with India.I recall that Hikmat had once asked me to come to photograph squatters who were encroaching on the Park from the Indian side. He wanted evidence to produce to the concerned authorities. Whether or not my photographs had any effect I have no idea, but the squatters are now gone and the Indian side is also protected as the Philibit Tiger Reserve.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110111148/636cd7859c7e80680e092de4jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1500" height="937"><figcaption>Boundary Pillar, Nepal – India border, Suklaphanta National Park</figcaption></figure>On our return to Suda Farm through the bazaar, we could see signs of the protests that had taken place during the day. The highway was still blocked in one place, but a short detour took us around this and back to the sanctuary of the hotel.The following day, we started our return journey by driving to Nepalgunj, where we spent a very comfortable three nights’ stay at the new Soaltee Westend Premier Hotel. The next day, we decided to go exploring East of Nepalgunj, where the Rapti River disgorges itself into India, in search of ruins from the 4th Century BC. We did not find any ruins, but did stumble across Kanchanpur Forest, a beautiful patch of greenery amidst picturesque villages. We returned early to the hotel to enjoy a sauna and a plunge in the very cold swimming pool.The next morning we left after an early breakfast and drove to the Kohalpur office of Banke National Park. There we purchased our tickets, samosas and pakoras before continuing to Obari, the Park Headquarters, where we picked up Game Scout, Gopal Chand, who was to be our guide for the day. He proved to be an excellent guide and was very knowledgeable about the Park and related conservation issues. Infrastructure is still a work in progress, but there were sufficient roads to cover a lot of ground and appreciate the beauty of this lovely wildlife sanctuary.We did not see many mammals, but mainly monkeys (Rhesus macaque and Grey Langur) and deer and quite a variety of birds and came across fresh leopard tracks on a river bank. What animals we did see had not yet become accustomed to seeing vehicles and fled at our approach, but this will change over time and the park looks set to become one of the finest wildlife tourism destinations in Nepal. There are a number of waterholes under construction and several machan towers have been built throughout the area. We thoroughly enjoyed our day out.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110111148/636cd7889c7e80680e092de5jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1500" height="729"><figcaption>Banke National Park</figcaption></figure>Next morning we enjoyed a slightly later breakfast before checking out of the hotel and heading for Butwal. We stayed at D’Arcy’s Hotel, next to the bus park, but were given a quiet room at the back where we were able to spend an undisturbed night after a pizza dinner at the appropriately named, Lavish Lounge.In order to avoid the highway construction works, we decided to drive South to Bhairahawa and take the Postal Road via Parasi to Bardaghat, just short of Daunne. This also allowed us to visit Ramagrama, the site of the only undisturbed <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/buddhist-relics-in-western-nepal/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Buddha relic</a> stupa. The other seven stupas where the ashes of Gautam Buddha were interred after his Mahaparinirvana and cremation, all in India, were opened by the Emperor Ashoka in the 3rd Century BC to coincide with the spread of Buddhism to countries such as Sri Lanka and Thailand.According to folklore, when Ashoka went to open the stupa at Ramagrama, he was prevented from doing so by a Nag cobra that was protecting the site. It is only relatively recently that the site has started to be investigated by the Department of Archaeology and it receives few visitors. A raised wooden walkway has been placed around the stupa in an attempt to prevent people from walking on the remains.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110111148/636cd78b9c7e80680e092de6jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1500" height="729"><figcaption>Ramagrama Relic Stupa, Nawalparasi</figcaption></figure>We were fortunate to have a relatively clear run over the hills at Daunne and arrived in Narayanghat just after midday and continued on to Jagatpur Lodge, where we had reserved accommodation. This was my third visit to Jagatpur and only reconfirmed my opinion that it is the finest wildlife lodge in Nepal. Our accommodation was in a spacious safari tent, complete with air conditioning and bathroom with hot and cold running water and a deck overlooking the watercourse in front of the lodge. This pool is a remnant of the former course of the Rapti River, which now runs further to the South, but gives onto community forest that is the habitat of many wild animals.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110111148/636cd78e9c7e80680e092de7jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1500" height="946"><figcaption>The view in front of Jagatpur Lodge</figcaption></figure>Hog Deer (Laguna) were an almost constant presence at the water, together with resident mugger crocodile, as well as many species of waterbirds. We also saw Chital, Ratuwa and on our last evening, a female rhino with a calf, come down to drink water. A member of the lodge staff once also saw a tiger right in front of the lodge. I have been most impressed, on recent visits to Jagatpur, with the network of community forests that form a buffer zone bordering the core National Park. Owned and managed by the local communities, from which they derive revenue, one’s chances of spotting many species are as good nowadays in the community forests as in the park itself.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110111148/636cd7929c7e80680e092de8jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="640" height="821"><figcaption>Dhurbe, the wild bull elephant</figcaption></figure>Our stay at Jagatpur was not planned in advance, but a last minute reaction to an announcement of political rallies across the country. Instead, we were able to enjoy a full morning in Chitwan National Park with guide Saran Darai and driver Resham, both of whom were excellent. Here, we were able to add Sambar to the list of deer species we encountered on our journey and were entertained by many dancing peacocks as a backdrop, while a rhino crossed the road. I also had my first wild elephant encounter in Chitwan in the form of Dhurbe, a wild bull, so named because he had killed a Nepal Army soldier of that name at a nearby outpost. The outpost is now also known as Dhurbe Post in memory of the unfortunate soldier.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110111148/636cd7949c7e80680e092de9jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1500" height="729"><figcaption>Rhino crossing the road with Peacock dancing behind, Chitwan National ParkFdhur</figcaption></figure>After a second night in the comfort of our luxury tent, it was time to head back to Kathmandu. We had had a good time and were back home in the early afternoon, in time for a cup of tea.

On the road in West Nepal

<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110111120/636cd0fe9c7e80680e08f889jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="768" height="480"/>It was my Dr Zhivago fantasy period, and I had this wild idea that it would be compelling to <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/opinion/so-far-so-good/wintering-in-mongolia/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">travel solitary by surface</a> all the way from Japan home to Britain – in winter.‘How I envy you that railway journey,’ wrote <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/opinion/a-postcard-from-jan-morris-1926-2020/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Jan Morris</a>, who fully appreciated the ‘special grace’ of travelling alone. Several days were spent transiting by train the massive expanse of the Soviet Union, and an uncertain seasonal ferry across the Sea of Japan to the east Siberian port of Nakhodka.We disembarked at Omsk, or was it Tomsk, and the teeth-aching cold was such that breath crystalised and tongues froze if anyone was unwise enough to open their mouth. The grey platforms, steaming wheels and stolid Soviet silhouettes were discouraging, and I quickly climbed back into the carriage.I remembered that time on the Orient Express when helplessly I watched the train with all my worldly belongings aboard chug out of the station – the stuff of nightmares – only to miraculously reappear after a few panicked devastating minutes. Character building stuff.I had no such alarms on <a href="https://www.trans-siberian-travel.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">the Trans-Siberian</a>, just surviving the bitter sub-zero temperatures every time I ill-advisedly alighted at a halt, and navigating the food where an expansive menu always seemed to have everything ‘off’ and only thick soup ‘on’. This became routine in the prescribed Intourist world of Soviet tourism, and was rather alarming at first. I adapted fast.Frozen rivers became smooth wayfares for the winter trucks, and across a pristine snowfield from the relative comfort of my second class sleeper I witnessed a pack of wolves fleeing at the sound of our monstrous approach. The rich biodiversity of Lake Baikal was a disappointing expanse of frozen ice, fringed in skeletons of willow trees under a threatening sky. ‘The earth … spell-bound in a death-like winter trance,’ in the lone walker words of Kenneth Grahame.<a style="background-color: #ffffff; font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: 0.01em;" href="https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2016/nov/12/trans-siberian-railway-russia-100-centenary" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The train</a> windows were permanently edged with ice and outside the monochromatic views were truly bleak, but inside the atmosphere was cosy and encompassing. Large Russian ladies carried covered baskets of black bread and strong sausage with which I was plied.Without any common language it did not take long to realise that these robust figures were worried about my slender frame – at nearly six feet tall and nicknamed 'hatini' back at <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/regular-columns/So-far-so-good/back-to-Chitwan,1075" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Tiger Tops in Nepal</a>, I was unfamiliar with feeling dainty and delicate, never before nor since.It was the winter of 1974 and I was returning from Nepal — the long way round. Following a solitary trek to Jomsom and an interlude in Kathmandu as <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/regular-columns/So-far-so-good/the-hippie-era-in-kathmandu,837" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">an unsuccessful hippie</a>, I had been working in Chitwan for a few marvellous months until the monsoon floods drove us out of the national park.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110111120/636cd1009c7e80680e08f88ajpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1443" height="910"><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>A series of adventures had landed me in Tokyo, including a spell selling diamonds with a couple of canny cockneys in Malaysia and Singapore, hanging out with bankers in Hong Kong, and devouring the sophisticated design and elegant intricacy of Japan’s ancient cities.But my mind was occupied with schemes as to how to wangle my way back to Nepal and the <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/Nepali-Times-Buzz/Conservation-and-tourism-Chitwan-National-Park,2957" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">conservation tourism</a> work that had captivated me. It would take me less than a year. Looking back, we can see our lives hang by a thread on seemingly random decisions and the vagaries of fate that could not have been predicted.That 1974 me, dreaming of the Himalaya in another railway carriage heading home from Moscow and Leningrad through Poland to another ferry across the choppy English Channel, would have been astonished at what lay ahead.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110111120/636cd1039c7e80680e08f88bjpeg.jpg" alt="" width="2853" height="4032"><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>Fast forward to a couple of years ago, and the long afternoon shadows of the Indian Embassy Residence reached us across the gently sloping and perfectly mowed lawn — white stucco columns, spreading balconies and blatant colonial blustering of the two story house first constructed for the British and handed over shortly after Independence.I felt the distant presence of <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=3246#.X_FprdgzaUk" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Brian Hodgson</a>, the first British resident to inhabit the bequeathed badlands of distant Lazimpat, depicted in this garden supposedly with his Moslem consort. The contemporary drawing has a picturesque primitive charm, that seemed strangely distant from the gathering of literary luminaries.The scent of roses mingled with that of my be-saried neighbours as we settled into the lushly padded chairs to enjoy a discourse on a small stage in front of the begonias. The subject was a book on mid-twentieth century life in the Kumaon hills by an esteemed Indian author swathed in cashmere and silk.‘I can’t cope with this nostalgia nonsense.’ The Indian ambassador’s face beneath his perfect turban was crumpled with nuance. ‘We have to move forward from the Raj, away from those battalions of white men, into the current reality. Romanticising the hill station life into a forgotten yesterday does none of us any favours.’ He fixes me with a steely glare. ‘Nor all that Raj rubbish about polo in the jungle.’ My <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/opinion/the-genesis-of-elephant-polo-in-chitwan/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">most recent column in Nepali Times</a>.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110111120/636cd1079c7e80680e08f88cjpeg.jpg" alt="" width="796" height="478"><figcaption> </figcaption></figure>I have no trouble agreeing. Wrestling with nostalgia has been my fortnightly task in this space for the last three years. I prefer to think of my articles as recalling living history, as background context to today’s evolving environmental issues and tourism landscape.Without even a nod to nostalgia, there are many hardnosed lessons to be learned from the impressive track record in tourism and conservation of which Nepal should be proud.After 100 articles and three years, Lisa Choegyal is closing her So Far So Good fortnightly column. All her past pieces are available in the www.nepalitimes.com archives.

The vagaries of fate

<figure><img width="945" height="427" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109181140/636be6089c7e80680e087782jpeg.jpg" alt=""/><figcaption>Hupsekot Rural Municipality recently inaugurated a 10-bed coronavirus-dedicated hospital. Municipality chair Laxmi Pandey is at centre. All photos: LAXMI BASNET</figcaption></figure>After the first elections under federalism in 2017, Hupsekot became one of only two municipalities in Nepal in which <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/regular-columns/guest-editorial/madam-mayor-of-jumla,918" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">women were voted both chair and deputy</a>.Laxmi Pandey of the Nepali Congress was elected chair, and Kopila Malla of the UML was voted vice-chair. In the three years since, Hupsekot in Nawalparasi district has exemplified how this has made all the difference in the quality of education, agriculture, nature conservation, and now Covid-19 control.Hupsekot is Nepal in a microcosm in more ways than one. It encompasses the Mahabharat and <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/page/crushing-tale-of-Chure" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Chure ranges</a>, as well as the Tarai, and these days when the air is clear the Annapurnas are visible to the north. Hupsekot is also an example of what is possible for the rest of Nepal.Under the 2015 Constitution a vice-chair or deputy mayor has to be a woman, but Hupsekot and <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/jumlas-great-leap-into-the-future/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Jumla elected women to both positions</a>. Now, imagine if Hupsekot was replicated in more of Nepal’s 736 municipalities and 17 metropolises. “Because both of us are women, it has been easier for us to work on delivery of social services to our people,” says municipality chair Laxmi Pandey. “In many other local governments we see the <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/salma-breaks-her-silence/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">male chair and female deputy chair having disagreements</a>.”Indeed, while in Kathmandu even men from the same ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP) <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/editorial/outside-looking-in/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">are forever quarrelling</a>, here in Hupsekot it does not seem to matter that Pandey and her deputy are from different parties. <figure><img width="400" height="400" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109181140/636be60a9c7e80680e087783jpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption>Laxmi Pandey says it helps to have a woman as both the Rural Municipality chair and deputy in order to deliver social services to the people.</figcaption></figure>“Sometimes, problems arise when there are party-based decisions from Kathmandu, but we manage to resolve them amicably,” says vice-chair Malla. “We have worked together well in the past three years.”In its very first meeting, this village municipality decided to provide Rs5,000 for institutional delivery in government facilities to promote safe motherhood. Back then the village had only one birthing centre, it has added two more in the recent years. Now, even those who can afford private hospitals go to government hospitals because services have been upgraded. So far 1,008 people have received the institutional delivery incentive.Nawalparasi district borders India, and earlier this year it became a hotspot for Covid-19, as <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/returnees-may-be-taking-coronavirus-to-rural-nepal/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Nepalis returning from India brought the virus home</a>. Hupsekot instituted a strict quarantine and contact tracing rule, and last month it opened a dedicated 10-bed hospital for coronavirus patients. <figure><img width="640" height="365" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109181140/636be60d9c7e80680e087784jpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption>Municipality Chair Laxmi Basnet presents agriculture equipment to local farmers as part of her government's effort to keep young men from having to migrate out.</figcaption></figure>Pandey and Malla then worked together to encourage local youth as well as returnees to take up farming instead of migrating back to India or overseas for work. A big chunk of the rural municipality’s annual budget is spent on grants for communities investing in commercial agriculture. This has had a direct impact on this year’s paddy harvest, and increased the prospects for agribusiness.Hupsekot has also launched a 'School Merger Program' to address falling enrolment, and best use limited resources. Four government schools have been combined into one and discussions are underway to even merge public and private schools.“As a former teacher myself, I have focused on improving the education program without adding to the hardships of parents and students,” says Pandey. “And we are working to improve the quality of instruction, to make it more relevant and impart civic values.” <img width="1355" height="788" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109181140/636be60f9c7e80680e087785jpeg.jpg" alt="">The rural municipality has launched an awareness drive against deep-rooted patriarchal values and <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/from-the-nepali-press/alarming-rise-in-violence-against-women/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">domestic violence</a> by sensitising parents to raise their children right, and as equal. Both at home and in schools, children learn early about tolerance and responsibility, and boys and girls alike are encouraged to help out with household chores.Hupsekot has also gone further than most other municipalities by promoting local languages and dialects. A language curriculum is being developed for 60% of the district’s population for whom Magar is the mother tongue. The digital charter of the municipality is available also in the Magar language.Hupsekot’s scenic beauty and places of religious significance make it a popular destination for visitors. And the municipality is now trying to add to its eco-tourism appeal, planting 5,000 rhododendron spalings under the 'One Student One Laligurans' campaign as well as holy pipal plantations around its pilgrimage sites under a municipality subsidised program.  <figure><img width="800" height="533" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109181140/636be6129c7e80680e087786jpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption>In August, Laxmi Pandey and Tourism Minister Yogesh Bhattarai declared the Rudrapur Gadi region a rhododendron conservation zone to encourage eco-tourism.</figcaption></figure>“Ultimately, we plan to create a natural and pristine environment and cultivate rudraksha commercially. This along with religious tourism will provide regular income for our municipality,” Pandey adds.The municipality is also working to raise income of female-led households by training women to produce value added goods from maize husk, and is already engaging them in knitting winter wear. The municipality then takes the responsibility of marketting the products.  An inter-generational skill transfer program is also in operation so that the village doesn’t have to rely only on outside trainers to learn new skills. About two years ago when the municipality advertised for two employees, some 60 <a href="https://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/nation/2000-widows-of-Nepal-earthquake-need-special-attention,2503" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">single women</a> applied for the job. During the interviews, they shared their hardships in finding a reliable source of income. While the municipality office wasn’t able to employ them all, this gave Paudel a much-needed push to plan a program specifically targetting single women. “Women in rural areas, especially single women, do not have a reliable source of income. Society looks down on them. But that won’t be the case if the local government steps in to support them,” says Pandey. Since last year, the municipality has started allocating a budget for ‘Single Women’s School’ under which widows come up with their owns plans for regular income generation. <figure><img width="800" height="544" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109181140/636be6159c7e80680e087787jpeg.jpg" alt=""><figcaption>Vice-chair Kopila Malla (in brown sari) with Chair Laxmi Pandey inspect a road upgrading project in Hupsekot.</figcaption></figure>The fact that both the chair and vice chair are women helps, and they are leading the charge with progressive plans and policies. This is in stark contrast to other municipalities where the women deputies are <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AqyjLl1qvv8" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">undermined and harassed by their male colleagues</a>.Says Pandey: “We have to use the five years we have been given by working for the people. Bitterness and dispute will only hurt our voters. Our sole focus is on fulfilling our responsibilities.”

Women leaders set example for rest of Nepal

<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109181120/636be1f99c7e80680e083e7bjpeg.jpg" alt="" width="1500" height="1000"/><figcaption>Safari elephants on the streets of Sauraha. Photo: ISAZ</figcaption></figure>Humans and elephants have shared environments for thousands of years, but what might surprise readers is that a quarter of the world’s Asian elephants live in captivity.These elephants are a vital and vibrant part of Nepal’s history, and their use has been documented since at least the fifth century in areas as diverse as war machines, living monuments to regal power and wealth, rewards for service and currently as tourist transport.Elephant tourism has become a major financial windfall for businessmen in the Chitwan National Park area, and photos of elephants on the streets of Sauraha have become synonymous with the location. Visitors to the area often mention their desire to ‘see elephants’ in both the wild and in captive settings. Tourism vendors must keep up the appearance of happy animals in idyllic settings in order to maintain a steady flow of income.However, there is no ‘sound science’ supporting elephant-backed tourism as indicated in <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/the-elephant-dilemma/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/the-elephant-dilemma/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1605948955641000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0cRf5xREKUphszMHgItcIk">a Nepali Times article of 4 October, 2020</a>, and no animal welfare studies that provide data that shows anything but substandard conditions in the majority of stables within the area.Waxing poetic about grand experiences on elephant-back does not change the data. In fact, I have spent the last four years as a rhino and elephant researcher in Nepal, and have just completed an assessment of not only the stables in Chitwan, but an overall review of captive elephant health and welfare throughout the US, UK and Asia.In a series of articles, Brown, et al found that elephants in tourism venues varied in weight, fecal glucocorticoid measurements (a sign of stress), and other hormonal studies depending upon their management techniques and expected performance of duties.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109181120/636be1fd9c7e80680e083e7cjpeg.jpg" alt="" width="640" height="412"><figcaption>Archive photograph of elephants loading up tourists at Meghauli airfield in 1972. Photo: NEPALI TIMES ARCHIVE</figcaption></figure>In a few studies, the elephants used in safari rides showed better weights and lower concentrations of certain stress hormones than those used in exhibition-only venues. However, while these analyses were conducted by reputable sources, <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/the-elephant-dilemma/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/the-elephant-dilemma/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1605948955641000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0cRf5xREKUphszMHgItcIk">the Nepali Times article</a> misrepresents their results. Rather than conclusively exonerating elephant captivity, these studies called for further research, acknowledging that the weight differences may be due to the practice of overfeeding sweet treats such as bananas and sugar cane to elephants kept in exhibition/visitation stables.In addition, being chained or kept in one place impacts exercise habits of these individuals, and increasing their activity via non-riding activities may be needed. Further studies showed that simply being exposed to humans was a stressful event, causing spikes in the stress hormones of captive elephants.Hopefully, new measures such as an examination of secretory hormones, will allow researchers to assess positive or negative experiences in elephants. Bansiddhi, et al and others in their studies have stated that the information is of limited value until a baseline study of normal levels in wild elephants can be obtained, and a determination of harmful levels can be gathered.Without this data, comparisons between elephants under varying management styles are more informational than diagnostic. In fact, at the EMA Conference 2020 last month, the need for better assessment tools and baseline studies in order to properly assess welfare were discussed.Other oft-quoted studies used by tourism agencies to promote elephant rides include those which say that the bullhook is not a danger in and of itself. This is a very true statement, just as any weapon is essentially harmless when disconnected from a human.Sadly, much traditional mahout knowledge regarding safe elephant handling has been lost, and bullhooks are now used nearly exclusively for fear and beating-based training, along with nails, knives, and sticks.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109181120/636be1fe9c7e80680e083e7djpeg.jpg" alt="" width="318" height="241"><figcaption>Use of bullhook by an elephant mahout.</figcaption></figure><figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109181120/636be2009c7e80680e083e7ejpeg.jpg" alt="" width="320" height="240"><figcaption>Scars and wounds on an elephant's head from a bullhook.</figcaption></figure>Experienced mahouts have moved on to better jobs to escape the stigma of being low-caste or poorly-paid, researchers have found, leaving younger or inexperienced men to handle elephants using dominance and violence. Beatings often take place in view of visitors, and present tourists with a negative view of Nepal. There are no laws specifically protecting elephants in Nepal, and this lack of legislation (despite support for it from various government agencies) puts an uncomfortable spotlight on the country.A reality that animal welfare advocates (both Nepali and western) must acknowledge is that one cannot simply expect elephant rides to stop overnight. Those of us working in elephant research and welfare acknowledge the need for a gradual change which provides training and better employment opportunities for mahouts, financial stability for owners, and opportunities for local community members who rely on elephant tourism for their survival.Having a long-term plan in place is key for the well-being of all stakeholders. By pushing for better elephant standards, we are not clamouring to immediately eradicate elephant tourism. In fact, most researchers realise that government-owned elephants are a necessary part of anti-poaching, emergency rescue and wildlife census activities. During the monsoon season, these elephants remain the only way to enter the park.Happy elephantsThe elephants at Tiger Tops Tharu Village, who were participants in my study as well as being mentioned in <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/the-elephant-dilemma/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/the-elephant-dilemma/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1605948955641000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0cRf5xREKUphszMHgItcIk">Lisa Choegyal’s article</a>, have significantly different lives than most elephants in Nepal. These elephants are kept in chain-free enclosures, and have a large number of well-trained and experienced mahouts to care for them and are allowed more agency in their daily activities.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109181120/636be2019c7e80680e083e7fjpeg.jpg" alt="" width="640" height="427"><figcaption>Elephants frolic on the Rapti River during a monsoon downpour. Photo: LUCIA DE VRIES</figcaption></figure>In addition, the staff of Tiger Tops has agreed that they will <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/Nepali-Times-Buzz/elephants-born-free,3302" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://archive.nepalitimes.com/article/Nepali-Times-Buzz/elephants-born-free,3302&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1605948955641000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2uQ2YkyaSKvngH-Nqafm_y">no longer purchase elephants</a> once this herd passes. But these humane conditions are aberrant for captive elephants in Nepal.Surveys into the health and welfare of privately-held elephants have shown nutritional deficiencies, physical deformities and injuries, wounds from abuse and abscesses from saddles, death from preventable disorders, stillbirth and near-constant reproductive issues. Injuries and some disease processes are common in tourism venues throughout Asia, but are manageable with changes to management and husbandry styles.Furthermore, the majority of elephants in the Sauraha area are not allowed to recline for rest, get dirty or dig (a necessity for foot and joint health), but are instead chained by front and back legs. Recumbancy for sleep is incredibly important for elephant health, as is digging.  Simple, inexpensive changes to stables — such as providing dirt for the expression of natural behaviours or more appropriate nutrition — would be a game changer for the elephants of Nepal.Look, don’t touchThe captive elephants of Nepal also represent a population which may impact the life span of wild elephants in the area. Because they carry diseases such as TB, found in at least 23% of the captive population and has recently resulted in the deaths of two government-owned elephants, they risk passing along a variety of bacteria to wild populations.Furthermore, studies have shown that the pressure placed on forest resources by captive elephants impacts the availability of resources for wild elephants. Preserving these endangered species in their natural habitats should be a priority for the government of Nepal, and allowing the keeping of captive elephants in shared spaces is a risky practice.<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109181120/636be2039c7e80680e083e80jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="480" height="640"><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109181120/636be2059c7e80680e083e81jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="480" height="638">IllegalityBecause Nepal is a CITES signatory, the trade and sale of these endangered species is illegal. Yet, it continues unabated, and owners openly acknowledge this fact in newspaper articles and emails. No amount of description of peaceful jungle walks or ‘ethical’ activities will change the fact that the use of these animals for commercial purposes is illegal.Until the government of Nepal enforces CITES there will be no effective changes. Owners should refrain from buying or selling elephants in the future, as a sign of their commitment to creating lasting changes in Sauraha. Visitors to the area should be aware of the laws surrounding elephant trade, and consider this fact when booking travel to areas advertising elephant tourism.The upsideCurrently, there are multiple plans in place to create a non-riding sanctuary in the Chitwan National Park area of Nepal, and NGOs such as Jane Goodall-Nepal and World Animal Protection have been in talks for years with the local elephant owner’s cooperative group about this issue.If all owners agreed to stop tourist elephant riding, these organisations, and others, have indicated that there would be a great deal of financial support available. But because there have been holdouts among cooperative members, talks have stalled for the time being.There is now discussion of a cooperatively-owned facility housing a few of the members' elephants which will provide viewing of elderly individuals and riding of younger ones. However, this hardly fits the definition of a true sanctuary.Instead, Sauraha has the unique opportunity to become a completely ride-free, chain-free venue due to the relatively small number of captive elephants, and the acknowledgement by owners that these elephants now require a change in treatment and management.These owners have the chance to establish Sauraha as a more ethical tourism venue, while still creating income for themselves and maintaining employment opportunities for marginalised communities of mahouts. This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance for Nepal, and the elephant owners, to create a world-recognised facility. Hopefully, owners will embrace this opportunity and create lasting changes in the elephant industry.Luckily, there is already one smaller NGO in the Chitwan area working with local stakeholders to purchase elephants out of riding situations, and quietly transfer them to true sanctuaries. In addition, other organisations are working with hotel owners to lease elephants, keeping them off safari.In addition, there are other ethical venues open for tourist visits. One way to ensure your destinations are animal-friendly or ethical is look at the access offered to living animals. If the venue allows human touching of animals, then it is best to avoid. Use your tourist dollars to support facilities that care about animal health and welfare. Look, but don’t touch.<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109181120/636be2069c7e80680e083e82jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="480" height="638"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>The bottom lineNo one wishes to ban tourism in Nepal. It is a beautiful location with much to offer, and has set a high standard in preserving natural habitats for wildlife. Visitors to Nepal can enjoy jungle walks, home stays, local food and products, and enjoy the sight of wildlife crossing the Rapti River at sunset.What must change, however, is for tourists to take responsibility for their own impacts on both wild and captive elephants as well as local communities. This endangered species deserves our respect and better treatment in return for their years of hard work.They deserve a life with proper nutrition, agency, and space. Well-informed tourists will continue to visit the area, and should use their tourist dollars to support ethical activities and stay in hotels that promote chain-free corrals and well-nourished elephants.<img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109181120/636be2089c7e80680e083e83jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="155" height="200">If you would like to <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/speaking-for-elephants/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/speaking-for-elephants/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1605948955641000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2quOJmNVbFWhDn_B2t3uUW">discuss elephants</a>, tourism, or my research, feel free to comment on this article, and I will reach out to you.<a href="https://socialsciences.exeter.ac.uk/ease/people/michelleszydlowski/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://socialsciences.exeter.ac.uk/ease/people/michelleszydlowski/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1605948955641000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2zQRnF4ajftgPJeObTtrDF">Michelle Szydlowski</a> is a PhD candidate with the <a href="https://www.exeter.ac.uk/postgraduate/courses/anthropology/anthrozoology/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.exeter.ac.uk/postgraduate/courses/anthropology/anthrozoology/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1605948955641000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1UB0aiC8CQ-v65K0u8kWuD">University of Exeter Anthrozoology </a>Department. Her research focuses on pachyderm-people relationships in Nepal, captive elephant welfare, and sustainable tourism.

Set the elephants free

<figure><img src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109181112/636be0419c7e80680e083de4jpeg.jpg" alt="" width="916" height="1377"/><figcaption>Photo: BIKRAM RAI</figcaption></figure>Lisa Choegyal’s column ‘<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/the-elephant-dilemma/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Elephant Dilemma</a>’, 4 October 2020 elicited many comments from readers, some of which are excerpted here:<ul><li>As a group of animal welfare organisations we have to disagree with Lisa Choegyal’s stand on elephant safaris.</li></ul>Just because elephants are part of Nepal’s heritage does not mean traditions should not change. Many outdated practices have been abandoned, including widow sacrifice and child labour, because they were against the ethics of the time. In any case, even if elephant tourism stopped today, elephants would remain an integral part of Nepal’s heritage.Just because elephants in Nepal are not used in ‘alien’ environments such as beaches and temples, does not mean that Chitwan’s tourist safaris are ‘natural’. Most elephants live in ‘unnatural’ shelters, usually a simple structure of zinc sheet with 4 poles. They are tied 24/7 unless taken for a ride. With a lack of fresh greens, their diet is ‘unnatural’. Even the carrying of four tourists and a mahout is ‘unnatural’:  even though elephants look invincible, science says that their skeleton is not designed to carry great weight on top of their spines.Just because of a concern for loss of tourism, elephant riding and bathing does not need to be continued. The quick growth of non-contact tourism projects across the world shows there is great potential. Nepal introduced many humane alternatives for safaris (by canoe, car or on foot) and a pioneer company has already unchained its elephants. There is a growing market for a more ethical kind of tourism that involves elephants, be it in sanctuaries, elephant walking or viewing, kuchi and paper making, etc.We feel there is enough evidence to show that elephant safaris generally are a cruel business. We have shown that over 80% of elephants live under ‘unsuitable conditions’. This is in line with World Animal Protection’s more recent findings that claim that more than three-quarter of captive elephants are kept in ‘severely-cruel conditions’.Other groups have used video evidence to show present training techniques certainly do not ‘mostly employ kindness and positive reinforcement’. Instead sharp objects, fire, fireworks and noise continue to be used to break in young elephants. Even the presumption that Nepal’s safari elephants are no longer taken from the wild cannot be confirmed. The origins of elephants brought in from India are largely unknown as there is no proper documentation and no government control.Ms Choegyal argues that people like us ‘are shamelessly manipulating this emotion to convince the world that it is cruel to keep elephants in captivity’. This kind of languages creates an unnecessary and unbeneficial divide. We certainly do not try to manipulate anyone. We use evidence to show the realities of elephant tourism and to propose change.We also introduce feasible alternatives and are ready to support such initiatives. At present we need all parties to save Nepal’s precious wildlife and the country’s tourism industry. The sooner we join hands, the better.Animal NepalAnimal Rights ClubAssociation Moey - Helping Captive ElephantsElephant Aid InternationalHelp Animals IndiaNepal Elephant Walk Sanctuary People's Alliance for Nature NepalStand Up 4 Elephants  <ul><li>Domesticated elephants play a major role in providing employment and economic opportunities to the local people through tourism, and in also provide invaluable help to conservationists in researching and protecting Nepal’s wild places.</li></ul>Hemanta Mishra<ul><li>Cruelty to animals is a worldwide phenomenon. Dogs caged in China and Vietnam meat markets. Whale massacres in Japan. The Gadimai sacrifices in Nepal. There are so many other forms of abuse of animals that need to be stopped more urgently. I agree with Lisa Choegyal that elephant safaris in Nepal are much more benign, and many livelihoods depend on it.</li></ul>Erin Petersen<ul><li>Having seen the way elephants are taught ‘obedience’ and ‘tamed’ in Sri Lanka and Thailand, it is unconscionable that human beings in countries that practice the Buddhist ethos of compassion should be treating sentient beings in this way. In fact, elephants in the wild have a sophisticated family structure, respond to stress just like human beings when chained and confined. Elephants belong in the wild, and ‘elephant safaris’ should take on a new meaning, venturing into the jungle to observe them in their natural habitat.</li></ul>Nandita Ghosh<ul><li>Those critical of captive elephants in Chitwan’s tourism industry should not keep dogs as pets. There should only be wild dogs, and they should be allowed to roam freely in the wilderness.</li></ul>K B Limbu<ul><li>I find it astonishing that so-called elephant activists do not seem to consider the fact that their blanket call for a ban on all captive elephants would leave thousands of them with no way to be supported, nowhere to live (since there is not enough wild land to release them to), and thousands of associated families with no work. Their plight would be worse.</li> 	<li>It would be a great differentiating point for Nepal to have every elephant facility audited to a recognised set of international standards. It would be the only country to do this.</li> 	<li>I'm all for a spirited debate on captive, domesticated elephant tours that meet the highest animal welfare standards, benefit communities, contribute to the stewardship of protected areas and create high-quality nature-based visitor experiences.</li> 	<li>Without delving too deep into the nuances of the issues associated with owning elephants … the most important aspect is how you look after captive elephants and not really what you do with them. With that in mind I feel husbandry standards across the board can be improved in Nepal. Having an independent body to advise and monitor owners is a very good idea.</li> 	<li>At the moment it does look like a losing battle to keep elephants working, at least in India. If there is a ban on elephant safaris, it will mean more neglect of the captive animals.</li> 	<li>Dr Ingrid Suter makes a compelling case for captive elephant conservation and tourism. Particularly interesting is her belief in a grassroots, bottoms up consultation which I think is an excellent approach for Nepal.</li> 	<li>It is time for Nepal to end all forms of cruelty to animals, including cruel mass sacrifices, poisoning street dogs, and mistreatment of elephants in the name of tourism. If nothing else, it is bad karma.</li> 	<li>I agree, the welfare of captive elephants used for tourism is a concern in many countries and probably the certification model could address the critical welfare issue in Nepal.</li> 	<li>Nepal has always been unique in the use of domestic elephants for shoots in the old days and safari in more contemporary times. The good thing is Nepal has never used domestic elephants for work such as logging, etc.</li></ul>(Names supplied)

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