Technicians sit a kilometer away to see when a vulture enters the tower to eat food and if it can be caught. When the vulture enters, the technicians run and try to catch it.
What you should know
In the Hirapur Phanta Forest of Shuklaphanta National Park, there is a green net on the bamboo poles. A small shutter-like space has also been made on one side of the tower, which is closed with a net on all sides.
The shutter that can be closed and opened under the control of the rope is also net. Sino is placed inside to attract vultures .
When a vulture enters the tower to feed and can catch it, the technicians are crouching a kilometer away. When the vulture enters, the technicians run and try to catch it. Another technician who sweeps the net lives at a distance of three/four hundred meters.
"This work is done immediately, a rope is tied between both wings of the vulture and the GPS is connected," said Hirulal Dagounra, project field officer of the Nepal Bird Conservation Association, "Usually it is like a small bag, it does not make much difference to the vulture." It is not done . This method of catching vultures is called 'walk and trap' . The captured vulture is released again after GPS connection.
About two weeks until the day before Phulpati, similar work was done to connect the GPS by catching the vulture. GPS has been installed on 5 vultures in 14 days before Dasain along with Hirapur and Tarapur branch. GPS is yet to be connected to 5 more. Now after Tihar, GPS connection work will be started . Dagaunra said that there is a plan to connect GPS to 10 Dungar vultures this year.
'So far, we have managed to catch five vultures, all of them have been released after being fitted with GPS,' he said, 'Last year, the vulture did not enter the net for 19 days, in the second attempt, we have managed to fit GPS.' Now where the vultures reach is being studied .
The vulture's activity, identification of the migration area for feeding and to make the migration area safe are monitored by GPS . The area where the vulture is found dead is considered to be in danger. Dagaunra says that this monitoring is being done to work out how that risk can be minimized. GPS works for 3 to 5 years once connected.
'Some drugs used in animal treatment are dangerous for vultures, their use puts vultures at risk,' he said, 'Diclofenac has been banned in Nepal, but Ketoprofin, Nimuslide, Aceilofenac, which are currently used in animal treatment, are being used, which have increased the risk to vultures.'
According to him, all the vultures who were connected to GPS in September last year are alive. One of these vultures has reached India's Jim Corbett National Park. Others have reached Pithoragarh from India's Dudhuwa Neslan Park via Laggabagga Conservation Area. Similarly, Dagaunra says that the vultures have reached Baitadi and Dadeldhura.
According to a recent count in various places of the district along with Shuklaphanta National Park, 126 vulture nests have been found in Kanchanpur. Along with the park, Lalzhadi, Bansaha, Persia and other areas were counted.
Work has been done in Hirapur and Tarapur areas of the park for GPS connection to vultures. Due to the good habitat of the vulture, the suitable area has been selected . For this, the technicians of the park office have been working jointly with the Nepal Bird Conservation Association.
