An initiative taken by a local forest committee four years ago to conserve the jungle area has started to pay off, with the Tilaurakot Collaborative Forest in Kapilvastu seeing a significant rise in number of wild animals.

According to the District Forest Office (DFO), number of peacocks, blue bulls (Boselaphus tragocamelus), yellow-throated martens, spotted deer, pythons, jackals and wild boars among other wild animals has increased in the forest.

The collaborative forest covers 6,212 hectares of forest land. Assistant Forest Officer Madan Mohan Sandilya said there are around 300 wild animals in the forest.

“There were only few animals in the forest eight years ago,” said Sandilya.

Bishnu Bahadur BK of Niglihawa VDC-2 said locals had not seen wild animals in such huge numbers in the forest in the last five to seven years. Two leopards had recently tried to attack me while I was collecting fodder in the jungle, he said. The collaborative forest has deployed 20 forest guards to conserve wild animals and forest land.

The forest has also managed firefighters with essential equipment. The DFO said it was planning to construct some corridors after identifying the proper habitats.

DFO Deputy Secretary Krishna Neupane said the forest office was also planning to organise a separate programme for wildlife conservation. Animals can move from one place to another through the wildlife corridor of Chure area in Shivagadhi VDC, Dubiya in Banakasbas to Tilaurakot collaborative forest, he said.