Count of naur and jharal begins in Dhorpatan Hunting Reserve

Preparations are under way to count naur (blue sheep) and jharal (Himalayan tahr) in Baglung's Dhorpatan Hunting Reserve in order to set hunting quotas.

Nepal's only hunting reserve has been counting the numbers of these wild animals every five years.

With the start of the current fiscal year's second trimester, technicians and staff are being deployed across all seven hunting blocks — Surtibang, Phagune, Barse, Seng, Dogadi, Ghustung and Sundaha.

The reserve office said the count would be carried out using the "head count" method.

The previous count, delayed by a year due to Covid-19 and conducted in BS 2079, found around 1,290 naur and 744 jharal.

Based on the numbers, age and sex composition found in the count, the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation sets the annual hunting quota.