A conservation biologist has collated a collection of owl stories from his native Nepal, to raise their profile there, as well as continuing to run an annual owl festival.
As of 2020, the Himalayan nation of Nepal had 23 recorded species of owl, with five them categorized as vulnerable.
Raju Acharya, founder and executive director of Friends of Nature, a Kathmandu-based environmental NGO, explains that he was in a remote area of Nepal when he started to hear folklore stories about owls — he would go to publish a range of tales in Enchanted Feathers: Owl Stories from Nepal.
“My current research explores cultural, religious, and dream interpretations of owls and I’m also writing a book titled ‘Night Whispered’ to promote positive perceptions and reduce negativity in society in the long term,” he says, “Changing negative perceptions quickly is difficult, but success could pave the way for other common species,” he says.
Raju was a key contributor to the Owl Conservation Action Plan in 2020 which addresses the threats to owls from hunting, illegal trade, and habitat loss, and he explains that adding that the abundance of birds significantly increases in those areas with larger numbers of old trees.
“Presently, our goals include changing local perceptions, building enforcement agency capacity, and improving owl habitats,” he says adding that the team also aims to raise awareness among students and the public by creating 100 conservation camps.
Acharya explains that the biggest challenge to his work is that international and national organisations often focus on globally threatened species rather than Nepal owls.
“Our main objective is owl conservation,” he says, “Initially, I took on the responsibility when I found no organizations in Nepal focusing on owl research and conservation.”
Raju also set up the “Nepal Owl Festival” 11 years ago, which focuses on discouraging the hunting and trade of owls in Nepal and promote ecotourism potential to the area through hosting many visitors and showcasing the local wildlife and traditional culture.
In May 2024, UK charity Whitley Fund for Nature (WFN) awarded a 2024 Whitley Award to Acharya and his team, with the aim of restoring 1,200 hectares of owl habitat by protecting 500 old trees and installing 100 artificial nests in semi-urban areas.
Why Are People Down on Owls In Nepal?
Acharya grew up in the lap of the Himalayas and in the city of Pokhara, Nepal.
“Living near the forest as a teacher already fueled my enthusiasm for nature,” he says, “This passion was further enhanced by my academic career in forestry and my experiences from the Annapurna Conservation Area Project, where I gained hands-on experience in participatory biodiversity conservation.”
Acharya explains that 16 years ago, while roaming a remote area with colleague Yadav Ghimirey, they observed that people were occasionally consuming owl meat and held very negative perceptions about owls.
“This was ironic considering the positive perceptions of owls in many other parts of the world,” he says, “As we explored this species further, we discovered that hunting and trade were common practices; this realization became the turning point that led me to work in my current field.”
Acharya explains that scientists from the Global South bring practical knowledge rooted in their upbringing.
“Many of us have experienced challenges from a young age, such as walking long hours to school, encountering wildlife, and living alongside diverse ecosystems,” he says, “These experiences shape our unique perspectives and deepen our understanding of local environments and communities, making our contributions to global challenges both meaningful and impactful.”
Nepal’s Pangolins
Another Nepalese conservationist is Tulshi Laxmi Suwal, the founder of Small Mammals Conservation and Research Foundation (SMCRF) in Kathmandu, Nepal.
She studies the impact of forest fires on scaly mammals called pangolins — and inspiring a whole new generation of researchers to appreciate them.
Nepal is home to two of the eight species of pangolin — the Chinese pangolin and the Indian pangolin and they are known as “friends of farmers” for the vital ecosystem services they provide, with a single pangolin eating 70 million ants and termites a year.
Suwal explains that a study in 2016 found that that pangolin habitat in Nepal is increasingly being threatened by forest fire, with over 3,000 forest fire incidents occur every year.
Her project will create ten sustainable Community Pangolin Conservation Groups to monitor pangolin populations and their habitats and equip them to manage fires and plant 20,000 local mixed broad-leaved trees.
“This project will help other species, address gender inequality, climate change and so much more,” she says, “Nature-based solutions will help to provide alternative livelihoods for local communities in the form of leaf-plate-making for example.”
